How some South Africans would love a ‘do-over’ in Tokyo

When we play board games at home, if seven-year-old Lexi doesn’t like the throw of the dice, she asks if she can throw again.

Unfortunately, her older sisters give her no leeway and her requests are invariably denied. “No do-overs.”

It is a rule, of course, and it’s an important one, otherwise we’d never finish a game.

Lexi, however, isn’t the only South African who would roll again if they could.

For all the success of the first half of the Games, the second half of the Tokyo Olympics has seen one crushing blow after the next.

We couldn’t have asked more from swimmer Tatjana Schoenmaker in the pool, and surfer Bianca Buitendag produced a spectacular surprise by reaching the podium, but when the action shifted from the water to the track, the medals dried up.

Akani Simbine’s frustrations after grabbing another fourth place in the 100m final at a major championship were compounded when the SA 4x100m relay team fluffed their first changover.

In the 400m event, world record holder Wayde van Nieker didn’d get past the semifinals, and long jumper Ruswahl Samaai was bumped out in the qualifying round.

Not that they’re alone. There have been more disappointments at the Games than we’d like to recall.

The rugby sevens team were booted in the quarter-finals, triathlete Henri Schoeman was hit by injury and Ashleigh Buhai withdrew from the golf.

It hasn’t all been doom and gloom this week, with shot put specialist Kyle Blignaut finishing sixth and marathon swimmer Michael McGlynn ending eighth, while a few other young athletes have also displayed their potential ahead of the 2024 Paris Games.

By the time the men’s marathon is completed on Sunday morning, and the Games come to a close, it is possible that the SA squad will be able to add to their three-medal haul from the last two weeks of competition, but it would be a surprise with most of the main contenders already eliminated.

Either way, it hasn’t been the most memorable Olympics for the SA team. We were hoping for better results across the board.

If they could, most members of the squad would probably choose to throw again.

But the reality is that they have to take what they’ve got and try again in Paris in three years’ time.

In sport, as with board games, rules are rules, and there are no do-overs.