Cape Town - Team South Africa has beaten not only the toughest competition in the world, but triumphed over incredible adversity to claim its 10 medals at the Rio Olympic Games.
Men's long jump silver medallist Luvo Manyonga beat drug addiction to scale the podium in his very first Olympic Games. Women's javelin throw silver medallist Sunette Viljoen is thriving despite facing homophobia and being ostracised by her family for being gay.
Meanwhile, rower Lawrence Brittain is bringing home a silver medal in the men's pairs just 18 months after his last dose of chemo for Hodgkin's lymphoma, and swimmer Chad le Clos won silver in the men's 100m butterfly while both his parents are battling cancer.
Men's 400m gold medallist and world record holder Wayde van Niekerk was born premature with a blood disease and has been a victim of bullying, and perhaps the most public battle of them all has been the constant onslaught of controversy around track queen Caster Semenya.
But when it came to their Olympic events, Team SA's champions seemed to have taken only strength and grit from the adversity they had already conquered.
President Jacob Zuma congratulated the athletes, and thanked South Africans for supporting them.
“We are immensely proud of the South African team for their outstanding performance at the Olympic Games this year and for making and smashing national and world records,” Zuma said in a statement. “The team has once again put the country on the global map and proved indeed that we are a winning nation. We also thank the people of South Africa for their full support of our athletes.”
Yesterday was dubbed #SemenyaSunday after Team SA's latest hero claimed the gold medal in the women's 800m.
Caster Semenya took to social media just hours after the race to thank her fans in a beautifully candid message that showed just how much the support meant to her.
“I wish that I was able to express the way I feel right now. I can't find the right words to express my feelings,” Caster wrote. “Thank you everyone for supporting me throughout the championship, for showing me love and for believing in me. To my fellow South Africans: Here is OUR medal! WE made it!”
Later, she thanked God for her victory.
“All the glory goes to the man Upstairs for giving me Strength and Guidance. Without Him I wouldn't be here.”
Caster's wife, Violet Raseboya, is also a runner, and was bursting with pride at her partner's win.
“Today is Caster Sunday. You are an inspiration to every woman in Mzansi,” Raseboya posted on Instagram yesterday. “Keep shining... Your country loves you the way you are, and I LOVE YOU MORE.”
Sport and Recreation Minister Fikile Mbalula watched Caster cruise to gold with the Springbok rugby team after their win against Argentina on Saturday evening.
“Caster once again hoisted our national flag high with pride and the world watched and observed as our national anthem was sung,” Mbalula said. “She continues to be exceptional, silencing critics with nothing but success and excellence. On the track, she is invincible. It is for all these reasons and more that we are proud to have her as one of South Africa greatest ambassadors in sport.”
Democratic Alliance spokesman Solly Malatsi also congratulated Semenya on her gold medal.
“Caster, through her courage and determination, has given us all a reason to be proudly South African. Indeed, she was a winner long before the race even started,” he said. “We hope that her achievements will inspire millions of youngsters throughout the country that it is possible to attain the biggest accomplishment in sports through the pursuit of excellence.”
The chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Sport and Recreation, Beauty Dlulane, also congratulated Caster.
“We are very proud of Caster Semenya. Her hard work, commitment, determination and focus is an inspiration to all of us. We are really impressed by her achievement,” Dlulane said.
She also commended Sunette Viljoen on her silver for women's javelin, and Henri Schoeman on his men's triathlon bronze.
“South Africa has won 10 medals (2 gold medals, 6 silver medals and 2 bronze medals) which is the target that was set by the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) before leaving for the Olympics,” she said.
IOL