Team SA’s medal charge at the Olympics will gain momentum this weekend

With the nation having opened its campaign on Wednesday, Team South Africa will be all systems go this weekend as the squad’s medal hunt gains momentum at the Olympic Games in Paris.

The Blitzboks played their first two matches of the men’s rugby sevens tournament on Wednesday, and Wian Roux will compete in the individual ranking round of the men’s archery competition on Thursday, ahead of Friday’s official opening ceremony which will feature a boat parade on the Seine river.

The real chase for medals, however, will begin this weekend.

Should they progress that far, the Blitzboks will have the SA team’s first chance to secure a podium place in the medal matches on Saturday.

Elsewhere, in Tahiti, experienced surfer Jordy Smith will turn out in the opening round of the men’s competition on Saturday, with his sights set on the medal contests to be held next week Wednesday.

Swimming contenders

Back in France, in the swimming pool, two of the nation’s top medal hopes, Tatjana Smith and Pieter Coetze will open their campaigns on Sunday.

Smith will turn out in the 100m breaststroke heats and Coetze is in the 100m backstroke heats, with both finals scheduled to be held on Monday night.

Meanwhile, mountain bike cyclist Candice Hill, who looks to have an outside chance for a medal, will compete in the women’s race on Sunday, and Alan Hatherly, who will line up among the favourites, goes in the men’s event on Monday.

Golf tournament

On the golf course, Christiaan Bezuidenhout and Erik van Rooyen are in first-round action next Thursday, and six days later former British Open champion Ashleigh Buhai will be joined by Paula Reto in the first of four rounds in the women’s tournament.

Athletics fans will need to wait until late next week to see the nation’s elite stars hitting the track, but they should be glued to their seats from the start.

Middle-distance runner Prudence Sekgodiso will turn out in the 800m heats on the opening day of track and field action next Friday, and one day later fellow medal contender Akani Simbine lines up in the first round of the men’s 100m sprint.