Hatherly makes more Paris history for SA

South African mountain biker, Alan Hatherly, clinched bronze in the men’s mountain biking cross-country race.

Hatherly’s medal is South Africa’s second at the Paris Games, with the first – also bronze – secured by the Blitzboks in the Rugby men’s sevens.

Hatherly also made history by becoming the first-ever South African and Southern Hemisphere rider to win an Olympic bronze medal in mountain biking.

𝗛𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗬 𝗠𝗔𝗗𝗘 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗔𝗟𝗔𝗡 𝗛𝗔𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗟𝗬 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗦𝗢𝗨𝗧𝗛 𝗔𝗙𝗥𝗜𝗖𝗔 🇿🇦#Paris2024 #CloserToYourChampions pic.twitter.com/UPpN5xpc0X

— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) July 29, 2024

Meanwhile, Team South Africa has yet another realistic chance of a first gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games this evening.

Tokyo Olympic Games silver medalist in the 100m breaststroke, Tatjana Smith, has her sights set on gold in Paris.

[WATCH] #TeamSA Swimmer Tatjana Smith reflects on her Women’s 100m breaststroke semi-finals victory at the #Paris2024 #OlympicGames

She swam a time of 1:05:00

“I’m just grateful to be swimming some good times”

🎥: @OfficialTeamRSA pic.twitter.com/IWRnvRPJA6

— Ntsako Mkhari (@Ntsako_Mkhari_) July 28, 2024

She blazed her way to victory in both her heat and semi-final yesterday. And on both occasions, her times were more than half a second quicker than that of her nearest rival.

Her compatriot, Pieter Coetze, is another medal contender.

He set the joint third fastest time for this evening’s final of the men’s 100-meter backstroke.

[WATCH] #TeamSA Swimmer Pieter Coetzee looks ahead to today’s Men’s 100m Backstroke final at the #Paris2024 #OlympicGames

The 20 year-old swam a new African record time of 52.63 to make it into the final.

“It’s just gonna be a dog fight.”#Olympics pic.twitter.com/Aan28NjI3j

— Ntsako Mkhari (@Ntsako_Mkhari_) July 29, 2024

Coetzee will be up first at approximately 21h19 this evening, while Smith’s race is scheduled to get underway shortly after – at 21h25. Written by Ntsako Mkhari