With less than 50 days to go to the Rio Olympics, South Africa’s team are shaping up to be the country’s strongest since its readmission to international sport.
South Africa’s projected medals haul suggests the team could return with its biggest number since the country made its return at the 1992 Barcelona Games.
But then again the Olympics have a way of shattering dreams, and medal predictions can make unpredictable political polls look like an exact science.
South Africa went into the Games in 2012 with Sascoc making lofty promises of winning 12 medals.
This might have been great public relations spin from the Olympic body’s point of view, but the reality was far removed from the team’s true potential.
Reach for the stars and you may hit the ceiling was an apt description of what transpired, with the team performing better than most pessimists expected.
The team surprised by returning with its greatest haul since readmission, bagging six medals - three gold, two silver and a bronze.
The prediction four years ago of bagging 12 medals may be realised this year if athletes’ form in the past two years is anything to go by.
South Africa has since produced a world champion sprinter in Wayde van Niekerk, while London Olympic swimming gold medallists Chad le Clos and Cameron van der Burgh remain at the top in their sphere.
The rowing team could possibly add to their single gold medal as a record five boats have qualified for Rio.
Two members of the ‘oarsome foursome’, James Thompson and John Smith, have since added a world title to their growing list of accolades, and a few woman rowers and heavyweight men have been thrown into the mix.
Caster Semenya has returned to her world-beating form and it seems to be a foregone conclusion that she will upgrade her silver from London.
It may even turn out that she will gain the title once there is clarity about the London champion, Russia’s Mariya Savinova, who is caught up in a doping storm and may be stripped of her gold.
Our medal prospects have, however, hit a temporary speed bump or two, with World Championships 200m bronze medallist Anaso Jobodwana and triathlon man of steel Richard Murray having injury setbacks.
True to form, the duo are on the comeback trail, with Murray claiming the Duathlon World title and Jobodwana being back in the United States, preparing for the Games.
Add to that other prospects like cyclist Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio, the rugby sevens, and London kayak bronze medallist Bridgitte Hartley, and we will have a potentially busy Olympics.
The previous Games had its fair share of disappointments, with Beijing silver medallist Khotso Mokoena, Sunette Viljoen and Burry Stander leaving medals behind.
Viljoen is yet again among the front runners for a medal, while hurdles ace LJ van Zyl owes the country a solid performance at the Games.
Rio will no doubt produce its fair share of disappointments, and it is the narrow misses like Viljoen’s in 2012 that will no doubt have an effect on the medal haul.
With fewer than 50 days to go to the start of the Games, South Africa can dare to dream that the team will produce on its immense promise. - Saturday Star
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