Team South Africa’s star athlete Henri Schoeman is satisfied he gave everything during the men’s triathlon after finishing 20th in the 2024 Paris Olympics event.
Britain's Alex Yee won the men's triathlon, passing New Zealand's Hayden Wilde in the final stretch in a dramatic finish to the delayed event.
Yee, who improved on the silver he won at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago, caught great rival Wilde on one of the last corners of the concluding 10km run, with the New Zealander finishing second and France's Leo Bergere winning the battle for third.
The women's triathlon took place just before the men's in a huge relief for organisers after the River Seine had failed pollution tests on previous days.
However, the delay meant the triathlon took place on one of the hottest days at the Paris Olympics thus far and took its toll on a lot of the athletes, including Schoeman.
“It was very warm, with the race change we didn’t expect it to be this warm. I overexerted a little bit, but I gave it my best shot,” said Schoeman.
“I was happy with my swim, I positioned myself exactly how I wanted to. I was within the top three the entire time and pushed at the front.
“On the bike I tried to conserve as much energy as I could. On the run I felt I could go for the medal, but I was lacking some of that speed. I drifted a little back and I couldn’t push harder.”
Compatriot Jamie Riddle, who finished in 25th position, concurred, saying the conditions were a lot warmer than expected.
“The sudden change of the day of racing made conditions completely different. It was so hot out there and a really tough day,” said Riddle.
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🇿![CDATA[]]>🇦 #TeamSA's Pieter Coetze won heat 2 in the #Swimming Men's 200M Backstroke to secure a spot in the semi-finals! #SABCSportOlympics #Paris2024 #Olympics pic.twitter.com/GafjFe7CRn
Schoeman, who won the bronze medal at Rio 2016, had to wait three years for another crack at the Olympics after a broken ankle hampered his chances in Tokyo.
While he was disappointed not to get a medal in Paris, finishing the race made him very happy after the heartbreak he suffered in 2021.
“Coming from where I was in Tokyo with a broken ankle, I was very happy to finish,” he said.“
The uncertainty surrounding the event could have also contributed to many athletes not quite performing at their best.
However, Schoeman says he was race ready when they got to the green light to compete.
“It plays on all our minds. I went to bed last night thinking are we even going to race today. We had doubts, even thinking it could be a duathlon,” said Schoeman.
“You go to bed with that kind of thought and then this morning was race time. So you just had to get in race mode and go for it.”
Additional reporting by AFP
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