We are the champions

SOUTH AFRICA is still buzzing from the gold- medal rush since the start of the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games as the contest comes to an end tomorrow. Triathlete superstar Henri Schoeman provided the spark, beating a world-class field including twotime Olympic champion Alistair Brownlee and his brother Jonny on the opening day.

Nothing could have prepared South Africans for the madness on Monday when the nation won four gold medals, three silvers and two bronzes.

Chad le Clos won gold in the 50m, 100m and 200m distances and became the most decorated Commonwealth swimmer, bowing out of the Games with 17 medals over three editions.

Cameron van der Burgh beat world record-holder Adam Peaty to win his third consecutive 50m breaststroke gold medal. Tatjana Schoenmaker took the 100m-200m breaststroke double gold and became the proud owner of three African records.

Akani Simbine and Henricho Bruintjies raced to the country’s first 100m gold-silver double.

Three days later visually impaired duo Ndodomzi Ntutu and Hilton Langenhoven did the same in the T12 100m gold-silver medals.

Caster Semenya produced the goods the following day when she smashed Zola Budd’s 34-year-old SA 1 500m record. She followed it up by becoming only the third female athlete to win the 800m-1 500m golden double at the Games yesterday.

Long-jump phenomenon Luvo Manyonga and Ruswahl Samaai bagged another gold- bronze double, while javelin veteran Sunette Viljoen took bronze to win her fourth consecutive medal at the Games. Martin Erasmus won South Africa’s first amateur wrestling gold medal since 1958.

South Africa are fifth on the medal table with a haul of 35 medals but can end with a golden finish with the Sevens team in action tomorrow.