It might not be gold, but he can live with white, considering he isn’t paying for it.
Olympic champion Cameron van der Burgh has only just arrived back in South Africa but he already has a new set of larney wheels.
The gold medallist was handed the keys to an Audi R8 V10 Spyder at the week-end. The beast is valued at R2.3 million.
It “complements his enduring personal style as a trendsetter”, Audi said in a statement. Van der Burgh is not the first sportsman to get behind the wheel of a Spyder.
Recently, Springbok Francois Hougaard was given an Audi R8 Spyder 5.2 FSI Quattro.
At the time, it was the largest car sponsorship of an SA sportsman.
Van der Burgh’s car is not for keeps; he will only get to drive the Spyder for a couple of weeks - that is until it’s replaced by an Audi RS5 Coupé.
So, why the fancy car?
Well, besides taking gold, Van der Burgh has been the Audi ambassador for the past two years.
Before his heroics in London, Van der Burgh was driving a more pedestrian Audi A5.
Other Audi ambassadors include singer-songwriter Lira, television presenters Michael Mol, Jeannie D and Jo-Ann Strauss, and radio DJ Anele Mdoda.
“Audi SA is very proud of Cameron’s achievements, and our longstanding relationship has enabled us to reward him in the best possible way,” said Ryan Searle, head of Audi South Africa, in a statement. - The Star