The 2022 Commonwealth Games might have been the event that rekindled the flame of Athletics in South Africa. What team South Africa did, following a poor showing at the 2020 Tokyo Games in 2021, is nothing short of amazing.

From only three Olympic medals in Japan, to a return of 27 medals in England – class. Among that proper haul, seven of the medals were a gorgeous shade of gold, and it brought new superstars to the fore.

The Blitsboks owned the Sevens phase of the Games.

Australia’s 12 points scored in the Semi-Final was the most that got past the South African defence. Four of the seven matches ended in clean sheets (to use a soccer term) for the Springbok Sevens, and only one try slipped through. Tonga scored one in the group round, and Fiji scored a solitary try in the match for the gold medal, while the Blitsboks put 31 on the board.

Michaela Witbooi broke out in tears as the National Anthem played for her Judo Gold in the category for fighters weighing 48kg and under. Witbooi, an athlete at Tuks, took down India’s Shushila Likmabam.

On the track, in the 100m race for the visually impaired, Jonathan Ntutu earned a spot at the top of the podium, running a seasons best time of 10.89.

A majority of South Africa’s medals, 11 in fact, was won in Birmingham’s Swimming Pools. Pieter Coetze was the sole men’s Gold medalist, while Tatjana Schoenmaker and Lara van Niekerk bagged the others. Lara, at just 19, won herself two massive golds, in the 50 and 100-meter breaststroke.

Our star swimmers will be the ones for watch for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

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