Top 10 moments for Team South Africa at the Commonwealth Games

South Africa has performed beyond expectations and waved our rainbow flag on the international sporting platform of the Commonwealth Games. Even more promising is the achievement of the local Lowveld athletes, such as Kwagga Smith and Werner Kok. South Africa has been represented across 15 codes with old favorites providing stability and guidance and new guns paving the way for a bright future. South Africa’s sweep of 40 medals (13 Gold, 10 Silver and 17 Bronze) is a testament to this.
Here is the top ten moments (in no particular order)

1) Chad Le Clos swims his way to a record 7 medals.
Chad le Clos is an enigma – South Africa’s best swimmer mainly because of the range of disciplines that he competes in. He is not South Africa’s answer to Micheal Phelps – he has beaten Micheal Phelps. Le Clos does not have to stand in anyone’s shadow ashe is the first South African swimmer to bag 7 medals in Commonwealth Games history. This feat also equaled the Commonwealth Games record with former Australian hot shot Ian Thorpe, when the later achieved the same feat at Manchester 2002.

2) Lawn Bowls roll their way to a record breaking 5 gold medals
Who says Lawn bowls is only for old and retired folk in retirement homes? That image has now quickly been distorted with the slew of medals that a host of different competitiors achieved. Notable was the gold in the women’s fours and men’s triple which featured the enthusiastic Prince Neluonde (30), who started playing bowls a mere four years ago.

3) Track and field newcomers perform
Zarck Visser and Rushmal Sawaai took an extra leap and showed their potential when they starred in the men’s long jump and took home silver and bronze respectively. These two young guns look to be following into the footsteps of 2008 Olympic silver medalist, Khotso Mokoena and will be looking to go one step better in two years time in Rio de Janeiro at the 2016 Olympic Games. Khotso Mokoena also achieved a gold medal in the men’s triple jump, which exceeded his own expectations, as he is still a newcomer to this discipline.

4) Blitzbokke takes home the gold
The Blitzbokke took all the form from their World Sevens Series tournaments and translated this into a glorious win over their greatest rival New Zealand. South Africa beat the All Blacks 17-12 in a closely thought final. Local players, Kwagga Smith and Hoërskool Nelspruit’s alumni, Werner Kok, are two Lowveld stars who made us immensely proud. Cecil Afrika was also the flag bearer and it seemed destined that the Blitzbokke would walk away with the glory.

5) Cornel Fredericks shows his class in 400m hurdles.
Cornel Fredericks became the third South African to take home gold in the 400 metres hurdles at the Commonwealth Games. Fredericks beat World Champion Jehue Gordon of Trinidad & Tobago and cemented his place as one to watch in Rio de Janeiro in two years time.

6) Zack Piontek wins gold medal in 90kg category in Judo and Ruan Snyman silver in the 100+ category.
Judo is not a sport that South African’s have traditionally performed in, but this year the martial artsists showed the world that Soouth African’s have some advanced skills in this discipline, Piontek from Pretoria, was extremely pleased and humbled with his achievement and vows to train harder and keep improving. Snyman was also really close to a gold medal but unfortunately had to settle for second place.

7) Fanie van der Merwe leaves his competitors behind in the Men’s 100m T37 final.
Fanie van der Merwe is the king of short distance disabled sprinting in South Africa. The 2008 and 2012 Olympic champion added another feather to his decorated cap when he took gold which blew the competition away. Usain Bolt would have been proud.

8) Four swimming studs take silver in 4x100m freestyle relay.
South Africa’s swimmer were the toast of the Rainbow Nation after they palmed in a total of 12 medals during the games. It was really encouraging to see Roland Schoeman (34) still competing with the big boys, as he also achieved silver in the 50m butterfly.
The team of Chad le Clos, Cameron van den Burgh, Sebastien Rousseau and Leith Shankland took home bronze which in itself was a huge effort. Le Clos then took a selfie afterwards to mark the occasion.

9) Wrestlers show SA’s pedigree.
Wrestling is fast developing in South Africa’s and this was displayed at the Commonwealth Games when the team South Africa collected two bronze medals at the games. Mpho Madi and Armando Hietbrink made South Africans proud with their ability to PIN their competitors on the mat when it mattered most.

10.) Sunette Viljoen wins silver with final throw.
Commonwealth Games regular, Sunette Viljoen, was not able to defend her gold from the Delhi 2010 Games, but managed to sneak into medal contention with a desperate final throw. The elation on her face had said it all.