Love and rivalry in the time of Olympics

UNDER PRESSURE: LJ van Zyl HUSBAND and wife Olympians LJ and Irvette van Zyl take their work home with them.

The parents of 11-month-old Louis jnr have long talked about racing each other over a neutral distance, and they plan to face off over a street mile while on holiday in Mossel Bay at the end of the year.

Irvette competes in the women’s marathon at the Rio Games today, and LJ, 31, rolls into action tomorrow in the 400m hurdles heats. Both take on the world’s best in their events, but their competitive natures are evident at home, too.

“It’s going to be a very good race,” said LJ of the contest with Irvette. He is at his third Olympics, where he is hoping to win the one top medal that has eluded him so far.

“Over 1km I’ll destroy her, but over a mile [1.6km], I have no idea, the shape she’s now in. Everybody’s warning me not to do it because I’m going to get embarrassed . . . I’m first going to do a time trial on my own,” said LJ.

“He’s nervous,” Irvette said teasingly, adding that the challenge dated from when they wed in 2012.

LJ said: “If I can’t run a decent time, a 4min 40sec at least . . .”

“Just line up and go,” interjected Irvette, 29.

But the couple are united when it comes to parenting, taking turns looking after their baby, who for the duration of the Olympics is staying with Irvette’s sister, who has a three-month-old of her own.

LJ’s coach, Irma Reyneke, sometimes helps with baby-sitting when the two are training at the same time, and she believes the arrival of Louis has helped the hurdler psychologically.

“I think he’s mentally stronger with the baby,” she said. “I think the baby helps a lot with the stress because there’s no time to think of the Olympics.”

LJ, in a slump since winning the 400m hurdles bronze and 4x400m silver at the 2011 world championships, had felt under pressure to perform at last year’s world championships.

When it comes to night duty, LJ and Irvette share the load, although not necessarily 50-50.

“LJ likes his sleep, so Mommy has been doing a lot of night duties,” Irvette said. “It was quite a rough three months building up to the Olympics, but it all sorted itself out. Louis jnr was teething, he didn’t sleep through.”

While the street mile is purely about bragging rights, the couple also have a bet on who will win the most prize money this year. “The one who loses has to pay for the December holidays,” said Irvette. IN FOR THE LONG HAUL: Irvette van Zyl