Debatable as it may, but the Olympics are the second biggest sporting tournament after the FIFA World Cup – depending from which perspective you view it. The variables involved include viewership, number of participants and logistics.
The 2016 Rio Olympics had 11 238 athletes from 207 nations excluding coaches and other officials, while FIFA recognises 211 national associations. The 2018 FIFA World Cup Finals in Russia had 32 teams each with 23 squad players to make it 736 participants. Viewership for the Rio Games had an audience of 3.6-b viewers while the 2018 FIFA World Cup Finals had 3.57-b viewers.
Russia had 11 cities with 12 stadiums that hosted the games and the tournament ran for a month with 64 matches played in total, while the Olympics are held in one city. The debate rages on.
With the delayed Tokyo Olympics coming to a conclusion on Sunday, team South Africa was still on a three medal haul. Can the 10 medal feat from the 2016 Rio Olympics be emulated and surpassed? Call me negative but the answer is an emphatic NO.
In 1992 South Africa was permitted to re-join the Olympic Movement and 93 competitors, 68 men and 25 women, took part in 87 events in 19 sports to bring home two medals, both silver, in tennis and athletics respectively. In 1996 Josia Thungwane and Penny Heyns brought us three gold medals of the five overall. Sydney 2000 brought us five medals – two silver and three bronze. Athens 2004 was a better showing with six medals – one gold, three silver and two bronze. Beijing 2008 was the worst in history for team South Africa as Khotso Mokoena was the only medal winner – a silver in the men’s long jump. When London 2012 beckoned, SASCOC had done its homework because a total of six medals were collected – four gold, one silver and one bronze. The sporting gods kept smiling on team South Africa as 10 medals were won in Rio 2016 – two gold, six silver and two bronze.
Water sports and athletics have brought us more joy and glory than other codes combined. A total of 11 gold, 18 silver and nine bronze medals down the line; we now await Paris 2024.
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