Publications
Partners
Cape Town - A list of South Africans in competition at the Olympic Games on Saturday, August 13 (SA times given):
ATHLETICS
From 16:00: Women’s 400m heats, Tsholofelo Thipe, Justine Palframan
What to expect: Four of Thipe’s rivals in heat two have quicker season’s best than her and she needs to make the top two in the heat to automatically progress or else be one of the eighth next fastest finishers in eight heats. As for Palframan, the KwaZulu-Natalian turned Stellenboscher is in heat three and her season’s best 53.09 is the slowest in the line-up but she’s had a few obstacles to overcome this year and that time is not a reflection of her talent.
From 17:00: Men’s 100m heats, Henricho Bruintjies, Akani Simbine
What to expect: For the first time in decades South Africa will have two quality sprinters in action and both stand an excellent chance of making, at least, the semi-finals. Late on Friday no details of who was in which heat had been announced.
01:30: Men’s 400m semi-finals, Wayde van Niekerk
What to expect: Despite admitting to feeling slightly nervy in his first round, this supreme athlete barely raised a sweat in winning his first race at an Olympics. He goes off in the second of three semi-finals and his season’s best 44.11 is still quicker than anyone in his heat.
01:53: Men’s long jump final: Luvo Manyonga and Ruswahl Samaai
What to expect: They went into the final with both breaking the pyschological eight-metre barrier and with long jump, it sounds silly, anything can happen on the day, with rhythm being a key factor.
From 02:00: Women’s 100m semi-finals: Carina Horn
What to expect: Carina Horn is SA’s only representative in the semis and she races the third of three eliminators. With only the first two guaranteed spots in the final she’s going to be up against it with two women in her race, English Gardner and Elaine Thompson both having dipped well under 11sec this season.
02:27: Men’s 10 000m final, Stephen Mokoka
What to expect: Mokoka is the lone SA entrant in this battle of the speedy endurance runners. He has a season’s best of 27:48.84 and most eyes are going to be on Britain’s Mo Farrah (season’s best 26:53.71) and whether he can defend the title he won on home soil in London four years ago.
03:08: Men’s 800m semi-finals, Rynardt van Rensburg
What to expect: Van Rensburg ran a season’s best 1:45.67 to get out of the heats and by all accounts he’ll need another season’s best if he’s to get any further.
03:37: Women’s 100m final: (Maybe Carina Horn)
What to expect: Lets see if Horn gets this far.
SAILING
18:05 and four races after 18:15: Men’s Laser, Race 9 and 10, Stefano Marcia
What to expect: Marcia will wrap up his maiden Olympic voyage today and will be hoping to end off on a good note.
GOLF
Men’s third round begins at 12:30
Jaco van Zyl has a 36-hole total of three-over 145 and Brandon Stone is five-over on 147.
