Just the beginning

In contrast, Walaza’s athletics journey is only just beginning and he proved just that less than a month later at the Under-20 World Championships in Peru. There Walaza completed the sprint double with gold in the boy’s 100m and 200m. There’s no doubt then, that SA sprinting is in good hands.

In the women’s javelin Jo-Ane Van Dyk was another star for Team SA as she produced a performance of a lifetime as she bagged silver at the Paris Olympics.

It was an incredibly impressive performance from the 27-year-old Van Dyk who adds Olympic silver to her list of achievements including her two African Championship titles.

In the men’s mountain bike cross-country 28-year-old Alan Hatherly also produced a spectacular performance to earn a silver medal.

The first medal for Team SA, however, came from the Blitzboks in the rugby sevens competition.

One of the major disappointments of the Paris Olympics, though, was the performance of Wayde van Niekerk. The world record holder and 2016 Olympic champion chose not to compete in his favoured 400m event, and instead he went in the 200m only.

The decision though, could not really be questioned as the 32-year-old's form in the 200m leading up to the games was slightly better. That mattered little as he crashed out in the semi-finals as his career seems to be coming to an end. Van Niekerk never reached the heights he did in 2016 at the Olympics and 2017 at the World Championships, after picking up a serious knee injury.

In late 2017, at the age of 25 Van Niekerk played in a celebrity touch rugby match and the injury he sustained altered the rest of his career - despite his best efforts, the prime years of his career were essentially lost.

Overall, It was indeed quite a year for South African athletes, and there will be renewed optimism that in 2025 the Rainbow Nation see some of its young stars take the mantle forward in giant leaps and bounds.

Here’s hoping anyway.

@Golfhackno1

IOL Sport

#jo-ane-van-dyk

SA performances at Paris Olympics pave the way for future Rainbow Nations stars