Injury announcements, tears of frustration and one moment of magic were the order of the day for Team SA in Paris on Tuesday as the hunt for another Olympic medal continues.
The team were rocked by the news that Benji Richardson will take no further part in these Games.
The 20-year-old, who has run a PB of 9.86 seconds this season, was to form a crucial part of the 4x100m relay on Thursday but pulled up with a hamstring injury during his 200m semifinal on Monday.
There were hopes that it might have just been cramp, but Team SA medical staff confirmed on Tuesday that Benjamin suffered a more significant injury and would take no further part in the Paris Games.
Richardson himself posted on social media that he will only be back for the 2025 season.
MOMENT OF MAGIC
There was better news elsewhere on Tuesday, however, as 14-time Dusi Canoe Marathon champion Andy Birkett and partner Hamish Lovemore produced the moment of magic they’d been hoping for to qualify for their K2 500m semifinal.
The duo struggled in their initial heat at the Vaires-sur-Marne nautical centre, finishing fourth in a time of 1:33.25 and missing out on the top-two spot needed for automatic qualification for the semifinals.
That meant passage through to a quarterfinal where they blazed to second place in a time of 1:29.75 to make their way safely through.
One step closer to the final 👏🇿🇦
— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) August 6, 2024
Hamish Lovemore and Andrew Birkett advance to the semifinals in the Men's Kayak Double 500m after finishing second in the first quarterfinal.#Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/0y0BtD9PoY
“We had a terrible race in the heat. We felt good for the first 250m, but the second half of our heat felt terrible,” explained Birkett afterwards.
“We just fell apart and we knew that everything rode on that quarterfinal, so I know we felt a lot of pressure,
“But super-stoked that we felt amazing in the boat, that mid-section in that 500 we just felt so smooth in the boat… that was what we are hoping for, just one good race you can go home happy almost.”
Birkett added that adapting to the sprints rather than marathon paddling has taken plenty of hard work.
“It's a bit shorter than what we’re both used to. We’re normally used to racing 30 kilometres, two hours, but I think that's been part of the journey for us.
“We managed to get the spot to come here and we’ve been working our arses off for the last six months with this challenge, so we are super-stoked… that's about four or five seconds faster than we've ever gone.”
WOMEN'S K2 TEAM SIXTH IN QUARTERFINALS
The women’s K2 team of Tiffany Koch and Esti Olivier did not progress to their semifinal after finishing sixth in their quarterfinal in a time of 1:46.40. But focus now switches to the K1 1000m event.
“K1 one for me personally definitely is a big one,” said Olivier, who has overcome numerous challenges, including a heart condition, to compete at these Olympics.
“I've had a great lead-up and I've had some good results in the K1 over the last four years for the Olympic cycle, so I'm pretty stoked for it and excited to see what I can do.”
JOY FOR COETZEE, PBs FOR GELDENHUYS, JOSEPH
Back at the athletics track Miranda Coetzee ensured she booked a place in the 400m semifinals by running a new personal best time of 50.66 seconds in her repechage.
What a new PB feels like 💪 Miranda Coetzee#TeamSA #Olympics #ForMyCountry pic.twitter.com/NdbYUL58r4
— Team South Africa (@OfficialTeamRSA) August 6, 2024
Later in the evening, there was agony for Zeney Geldenhuys and Rogail Joseph, who both ran the fastest times of their careers so far, but it was still not quick enough to make it through to the 400m hurdles final.
Geldenhuys dipped under 54 seconds for the first time in her semifinal, finishing a close third in a new PB of 53.90 seconds.
In the next race, Joseph also finished third in a new PB of 54.12 seconds.
The duo then had a nail-biting wait to see whether they would progress as the two fastest non-automatic qualifiers, but a speedy third semifinal saw third and fourth-placed Jamaican Shiann Salmon (53.13) and Canadian Savannah Sutherland (53.80) going through ahead of them.
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Femke Bol will battle it out in the Women's 400m Hurdles final 🍿
— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) August 6, 2024
Heartbreak for South Africa's Zenéy Geldenhuys and Rogail Joseph who narrowly miss out on the final, qualifying 9th and 10th fastest 🇿🇦💔#Paris2024 | #CloserToYourChampions pic.twitter.com/tVR8lwtp3X
Joseph was in tears afterwards, saying: “It was a fight and I'm really proud of myself to be in the semifinal and it was another PB for me.
“But ja, it is just going to motivate me to work harder for next year’s world champs.
“I’m so proud of myself. It’s my first Olympics and I made the semifinal,” added Joseph, who said all her friends and family had gathered at her home in Worcester to watch the race.
Rogail Joseph finished 3rd in the women’s 400m hurdles semi-final 2 and set a personal best, but did not qualify for the finals. 🌟#TeamSA #ForMyCountry #Olympics pic.twitter.com/GMa0CegD4b
— Team South Africa (@OfficialTeamRSA) August 6, 2024
Meanwhile, a devastated Geldenhuys was initially under the impression she had progressed until informed by a member of Team SA that she had missed out by just a tenth of a second.
Zenéy Geldenhuys clocked a personal best to finish 3rd in the women’s 400m hurdles semi-final 1. Although she didn’t advance to the finals.#TeamSA #ForMyCountry #Olympics pic.twitter.com/e45LTmq17X
— Team South Africa (@OfficialTeamRSA) August 6, 2024
PILLAY, NENE MISS OUT ON 400 FINAL
Earlier, neither Lythe Pillay nor Zakithi Nene made it through their respective 400m semifinals.
Pillay, who ran a PB of 44.31 seconds at the National Championships earlier this year, finished 8th in his semifinal in 45.24 seconds while Nene was sixth in his in 45.06 – well short of what was needed to progress to the final.
Zakithi Nene placed 6th in the men's 400m semi-final and did not qualify for the finals. 🏃♂️#TeamSA #ForMyCountry #Olympics pic.twitter.com/uGlJQbWD4e
— Team South Africa (@OfficialTeamRSA) August 6, 2024
Also in tears afterwards, Pillay struggled to understand what has gone wrong this week in Paris.
“It’s just so frustrating. I’ve been consistent the whole year, I’ve done all that I could and I get here and things just don’t click as I’ve been preparing,” he said afterwards.
“It just feels like the wheels have fallen off. I don’t have answers. It would be easier to say I’m sick or have an injury but I honestly have no answer and it’s shattering.”
🏃♂️Lythe Pillay finished 8th in the Men’s 400m semi-final and did not advance to the finals. 🏃♂️#TeamSA #ForMyCountry #Olympics pic.twitter.com/otqvD78mjW
— Team South Africa (@OfficialTeamRSA) August 6, 2024
Both Pillay and Nene form part of the 4x400m relay squad along with world record-holder Wayde van Niekerk who came to Paris as medal prospects after claiming silver at the World Relays earlier this year.
“I have to get myself together, I have a team to run for and I have to be strong for them, for myself, said Pillay.
“I do feel like I owe a responsibility to my team to be at my best performance. because it's not just about me, it's about us. Obviously, I don't want to be a let-down to the team, I want to be able to contribute.”
The 4x400m heats are scheduled for Friday.