Ashley Erasmus has managed to earn a spot on the South African 2024 Summer Olympic Games team, becoming the seventh Lowvelder to secure a 2024 Olympic ticket.

This 19-year-old Mbombela-based shot put star has managed to qualify for the event at the Olympics, courtesy of earning enough World Athletics ranking points in recent months to reach the required ranking threshold.

In shot put, the top 32 top athletes in the World Athletics rankings qualify to take part in the Olympics, and, courtesy of her recent performances, Erasmus has climbed up into the 30th spot in the rankings.

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The young Lowvelder did not expect to qualify this year, but she feels more than ready to take on the challenge. “The 2028 Olympics were the aim, but 2024 has unexpectedly happened for me, and even though I didn’t expect it, I am ready for it and will give my best,” she said.

Ashley’s father, Lourens, expressed his pride in her Olympic qualification. “We’re incredibly proud. We didn’t expect or plan for her to qualify this year. We’ve been training hard for the last 10 years and there have been plenty of ups and downs, but Ashley has an incredible work ethic and always gives 100%.”

While she will be the youngest of the Lowvelders heading to the Olympics, she is not the only one. Six others are Olympics-bound as either athletes, officials or team management.

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In the athletics stadium, Erasmus will be joining Mbombela’s Benjamin ‘Benji’ Richardson (20), who will represent South Africa in the 200m and 4x100m relay events. He qualified courtesy of his performance at the 2024 ASA Senior Track & Field Championships.

There will also be Lowveld representation in the sport climbing events, courtesy of Mel Janse van Rensburg (22, lead and boulder) and Josh Bruyns (20, speed climbing). The duo are not permanently based in the Lowveld, but will represent the Emgwenya-based sport climbing club and Mpumalanga Climbing when they participate in the Olympics.

Furthermore, there is also Rosko Specman (35), who will be bringing his ‘Specmagic’ to the rugby sevens event at the Olympics as part of the Blitzbok squad. While not originally from the Lowveld, Specman spent three years here while playing for the Airlink Pumas between 2013 and 2015, making 45 appearances and scoring 140 points.

The Pumas won the Currie Cup First Division in 2013 and finished as runners-up in the Vodacom Cup in the same year, before winning the Vodacom Cup in 2015.

On the officials and management front, there are two Lowvelders going to the Olympics. Emile van Veenhuyzen, who hails from Mbombela and is the vice president of Swimming SA, will be an open-water swimming referee during the Olympics. He is also currently a coach at UniSwim Nelspruit.

Then there is Nicole Shuttleworth, a local biokineticist and cyclist, who currently lives in Mbombela but grew up in White River. She is part of the cycling team as a soigneur, one of the unsung heroes of a cycling team. She will be responsible for taking care of the riders on and off the bike.

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The Lowveld will be well represented at the Olympics, and all eyes will be on our representatives. This list of athletes and officials is based on the latest list provided by the SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee before publishing, and is subject to change.