Thumbs-up as Team SA gets ready for Rio

MELROSE – Sascoc announces the final team that will wave South Africa's flag high at the upcoming Rio Olympics.

July 22, 2016

Gaahele Mokgoro 1 minute read

Of the athletes geared up to go to Rio, there will be no female swimmers as none qualified for the 2016 Olympics Rio. Sascoc CEO and chef de mission, Tubby Reddy noted this and said that for the next four years Swimming SA would have to push their swimmers to qualify for Japan in 2020.

Sevens rugby players including Cheslin Kolbe and Werner Kok look forward to playing their best at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

He added that they were happy with the athletes who have been announced. “From this group of athletes we are expecting about eight medals and we believe that they will represent South Africa well,” he predicted.

Sascoc president Gideon Sam congratulated the team and wished them well for Rio. “We are asking South Africans to stand behind their Olympics team. It has been a great, exciting journey to get here as we have made it a point after the last Olympics that South Africa can be a force to be reckoned with,” he said.

Cheslin Kolbe will be going to the 2016 Rio Olympics as part of the rugby sevens team.

He pointed out that some athletes have amazing stories behind them, such as Caster Semenya and Kate Roberts and wished them all well.

Christine Kalmer from Honeydew, who will be representing South Africa in the 42km marathon, said that her being chosen was bitter-sweet as her sister Rene Kalmer would not be going to Rio as she had picked up an injury while training. “We have been getting ourselves ready for Rio and we are training twice a day – my sister has been training with me. I am really happy to be going to Rio and I hope to bring back a medal,” Kalmer added.

Marc Mundell will compete at the Rio Olympics in the walk race.

A popular athlete, also hoping to bring back a medal is Khotso Mokoena, who already has a silver medal under his belt from the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Only four golfers will tee off in Rio and they will lean on the expertise of coach and manager Gary Player. The two female golfers are Paula Reto and Ashleigh Simon. Their male counterparts are Brandon Stone and Jaco van Zyl.

Khotso Mokeona, Janine van Wyk and Luvo Manyonga are excited after they are announced as part of the South African delegates going to the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Latly, favourite swimmer, Chad le Clos will go up against US swimming star Michael Phelps and it is hoped that he will repeat his 2012 performance, despite the recent news that both his parents have been diagnosed with cancer.