Former Olympians share some of their golden moments of the sports event

Rekord caught up with former Olympic athletes Gert (84) and Renate Potgieter (83) at their home in Faerie Glen, Pretoria last week.

After 60 years, the two cannot stop talking about their experience and golden moments since the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne, Australia.

The married couple, who met during an athletics meeting in Potchefstroom in 1959, spoke about how the Games have changed since then.

Renate was born in Germany, but the wildflowers, and of course Gert, lured her to South Africa.

Gert intends to release a book with all the anecdotes of their journeys by the end of the year.

Gert competed in the 400m-hurdles at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics.

He, unfortunately, stumbled over the last hurdle in the semi-finals and finished in sixth place.

The 84-year-old found out that he approached the hurdle with 14 passes instead of his normal 15 passes and therefore he just missed out on a medal.

However, a year later, he broke the world record of 51.7 seconds of Russian Yuri Litujev with 50.7 seconds.

During the 1958 Commonwealth Games in Cardiff, Wales, he beat Glen Davis of the USA’s world record time of 49.7 seconds and again in 1960 with a time of 49.3 seconds.

Gert would have been in action at the 1960 Games in Rome, Italy, but due to a car accident, he was forced to withdraw from the Games.

However, Renate, who represented West Germany, sustained only minor injuries and was able to compete in the Games where she finished fourth in the long jump event.

The doctor who treated Gert in West Germany predicted that he would not be able to participate in sports again.

However, he proved everyone wrong, and six years after his accident he reigned supreme in the decathlon.

In 2011 in Zurich, Switzerland, Gert was elected vice-president of the African Olympics Association until 2014.

Today he is still a member of the International Olympic Academic Participants Association as well as the Association of International Olympic Historians.

Gert had the privilege of lighting the flame at South Africa’s International Games in Pretoria in 1964.

He was also an Olympic torchbearer in Cape Town, which was part of the 2004 World Cup torch relay in Athens, Greece.

“It was historic, as the torch arrived in South Africa after it was carried by camel riders from Cairo in Egypt via the pyramids and desert,” said Gert.

Rekord spoke to Gert and Renate about this year’s Games.

What do you think is the biggest change since your participation in 1956?

“Amateurism has switched to professionalism. We as amateurs did not receive any prize money – even if you set a world record. Today, sporting achievements are compensated with millions of rand.

“In athletics, the new synthetic tracks and spiked shoes have given athletes extra resilience, which promotes performance.

“Today, participants are assisted by physical laboratory tests, psychologists and dietitians.”

What sports item would you miss for nothing in the world during the Games?

Athletics and gymnastics.

What were your highs and lows at this year’s Games?

“Tatjana Schoenmaker’s medals in the pool were a moment we will not easily forget. Wayde van Niekerk’s performance on the athletics track was disappointing as well as our Blitzbokke who could not bring home a medal.”

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