South Africa medal count thread! 3 Gold, 1 Silver, 0 Bronze

[Biltong]

OK, I know there won't be much to talk about as our hopes of gaining medals are not all that strong to begin with.

Even Sam Ramsamy said 2 medals will be deemed a success after our poor showing of 4 years ago, he did however suggest we are targetting 12 medals (hilarious, I know)

But to celebrate the few medals we might get, I thought SA need their own medals thread.

And I am opening our account with Cameron v d Bergh.

The man did not only bag the Gold medal for the 100 meter backstroke, but also wacked a world record.

Well done young man, are there any more we could hope for?

[Biltong]

Cameron van der Burgh was the king of the pool on Sunday night, bagging South Africa's first medal of the London Olympics when he won gold in the men's 100 metres breaststroke in a world record time of 58.46 seconds.

Spoiler:

Le Clos beating Michael Phelps in the 200m

Spoiler:

GOLD FOR SA in the men's lightweight fours... Unbelievable race, with James Thompson, Matthew Brittain, John Smith and Sizwe Ndlovu coming from fourth after 1 500m to pass Australia, Great Britain and Denmark in the last quarter to clinch SA's first non-swimming or athletics gold since re-admission.

Move up Chad and Cameron, there's a few more joining you on that pedestal!!!!!

Spoiler:

[Dave.]

Yes, but is he good at rugby? That's all, as an Ulster fan, I care about.

[Biltong]

I'll have to ask him.

He might be able to "glide" through a gap. or swim round the maul.

[jbeadlesbigrighthand]

OK, I know there won't be much to talk about as our hopes of gaining medals are not all that strong to begin with.

Even Sam Ramsamy said 2 medals will be deemed a success after our poor showing of 4 years ago, he did however suggest we are targetting 12 medals (hilarious, I know)

I had no idea SA's medal hopes would be that weak. I know there's a lot of competition in the pool, particularly with the rise of the Asian nations, but I'd have thought you might have got at least 3 medals out of that. Of course, that's based on your historical strength, rather than any awareness I have of your current prospects.

Is this just representative of SA's sporting focus? From an ignorant outsider's perspective, it seems to me that SA really concentrates on rugby, cricket, football and swimming, with not as much participation in other sports. Is that fair?

[Biltong]

jbeadlesbigrighthand, yeah mate, sport in SA is almost entriely privately funded.

You look at gymnastics, judo, archery, shooting, weightlifting (all your non main stream sports) and there is simply just no money in it.

Corporate sponsors really go all out for the big three, Rugby, Cricket and football, the rest come a distant 4th.

What I don't understand however is why we don't send more athletes, amateur boxing, Judo, Wrestling may be amateur in SA mainly with very little sponsor ship, but why does the SA olympic comittee not send more athletes, we truly have some very decent talent there.

At the end of the day we are simply not focused on it as a country to the extent where we can compete.

[jbeadlesbigrighthand]

jbeadlesbigrighthand, yeah mate, sport in SA is almost entriely privately funded.

You look at gymnastics, judo, archery, shooting, weightlifting (all your non main stream sports) and there is simply just no money in it.

Corporate sponsors really go all out for the big three, Rugby, Cricket and football, the rest come a distant 4th.

What I don't understand however is why we don't send more athletes, amateur boxing, Judo, Wrestling may be amateur in SA mainly with very little sponsor ship, but why does the SA olympic comittee not send more athletes, we truly have some very decent talent there.

At the end of the day we are simply not focused on it as a country to the extent where we can compete.

Thanks. As I thought then.

As you say, it's a real shame. Especially when you think of some of the big old Afrikaaners playing professional rugby at a modest level in Europe. I'm pretty sure South Africa could have a pretty decent athletics team if you could convert guys who won't make the top grade in rugby to sports like the Discus, hammer and javelin. Just look at Lawrence Okoye.

[Biltong]

Yeah, imagine watching the Olympics and once a day there is a South African competing and few of them really achieve anything at all.

I know the Olympics is an honour to compete in even if you come last, but I am just a tad competitive and don't enjoy us being eliminated in the preliminary rounds or heats, it hurts man.

[Crimey]

Well another South African swimmer wins a gold medal.

Le Clos beating Michael Phelps in the 200m

[Galted]

lol, bless him, can't even talk he's so overcome. Well done Biltong

[Galted]

The more I see it in slow motion the more impossible the distance looks, how the hell did he overhaul Phelps?

[Thomond]

He seemed to just get more strokes in as opposed to more power, he seemed to churn them out quicker than Phelps. Know FA about swmming but it looked like that!

[Crimey]

Yeah, it just seemed unfortunate that when they got to the wall, Phelps was in the underwater part of the stroke and Le Clos wasn't, then the water slowed Phelps down.

[Biltong]

Cheers thanks guys, it was a gut breaking last 50 from him, I am so chuffed I don't know what to do with myself, we have now doubled our medal tally from the previous Olympics and both are gold.

[EnglishReign]

Great swim! One to watch, what a man.

[Smirnoffpriest]

Fair play, that's impressive for SA to win to golds (and break a WR) against such strong competition. Hats off

[Galted]

Another miracle for the Biltong private collection.

[Crimey]

3 gold, more than GB?

[Biltong]

It is unbeleiveable, if you told me we would win three medals this Olympics I would have taken it, winning three gold is just a miracle.

[Biltong]

The rowing gold is our first non swimming or athletics medal since our re admission to the Olympics, just gives you an idea of the enormity and achievement from these four boys.

[Galted]

London's just as much a home Olympics for SA as it is for GB

What's been amazing is the finish in the le Clos race & in the rowing - both seemed to have no chance at all. & le Clos's father deserves a medal for himself, he's become a legend over here.

[Biltong]

I think it is just the South African singlemindedness, guts and determination that got them through.

And as you say home Olympics.

[dummy_half]

Bilt
Your guys don't seem to realise there are medals for second and third...

ANyway, fantastic race in the rowing. Denmark probably led for 1950m of the 2000m race, but ended with bronze (and then only held the Aussies off by a short distance). GB did a great job of finishing fast and overtaking the Danes in the last few strokes, just a pity for us and good for you that your boys were doing the same on the opposite side of the Danish boat, and did it fractionally better.

Oh, we will let you claim some share of Chris Froome's bronze medal in the cycling time trial - born in Kenya of British parents, raised partly there and then partly (9schooled) in South Africa (where he learnt his sport).

[Biltong]

Thanks Dummyhalf, can we get the ribbon, then you keep the medal?

[disneychilly]

Biltong we just got two golds in an hour at the rowing. SA and NZ are on 3 golds-Aussie have 1. Sit back and enjoy that stat while it counts-I know I will!

[Peter Seabiscuit Wheeler]

Typical South Africa...all one colour...

[Galted]

[Galted]

le Clos just ruined it

[dummy_half]

Obviously forgot the contents of the memo.

More seriously, one gold and one silver when competing in two of Phelps's strongest events is pretty good going.

[Biltong]

Well it seems we only have Pistorius running on the track from a South Aafrican perspective today.

Probably our last chance for a medal.

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