Team SA’s campaign gains momentum at Tokyo Olympics

Bianca Buitendag kept her medal hopes alive in the women’s surfing contest, as Team South Africa picked up the pace in the morning session on day two of the Tokyo Olympic Games.

While the national squad had struggled to get going on day one, Buitendag and road cyclist Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio led the charge on Sunday as the team’s campaign gained momentum.

With surfing making its Olympic debut, Buitendag got off to a wobbly start, settling for third place in her first-round heat.

She maintained her composure, however, and did well to grab second spot in her next heat, progressing to round three.

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Buitendag, however, will have her hands full in the early hours of Monday morning.

She will have to beat seven-time world champion Stephanie Gilmore of Australia to book her place in the quarter-finals.

Moolman-Pasio also put up a fight in the women’s road race, finishing 13th as part of a small chase group.

Anna Kiesenhofer of Austria broke away and held off the peloton to win the 137km race in 3:52:45, more than a minute clear of her nearest opponent.

South Africa’s other rider, Carla Oberholzer, did not reach the finish.

Moolman-Pasio will have another chance to target a medal in the time trial on Wednesday.

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Meanwhile, the SA rowing team struggled again, with Lawrence Brittain, Kyle Schoenbee, John Smith and Sandro Torrente finishing sixth in the men’s four repechage.

They will compete in the B final on Wednesday, with the rowing schedule being pushed back due to a tropical storm approaching Tokyo.

In the men’s pair repechage, Luc Daffarn and Jake Green ended fourth and they were eliminated.

At the skateboarding park, Brandon Valjalo was 18th in the men’s street competition, and he did not progress to the final.

And the SA men’s water polo team lost 21-2 against Italy in their first match of the group stages.