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It’s a gold rush on the Gold Coast as Team South Africa has won an astonishing 9 medals today, bringing our total up to 18 for the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

Outstanding performances in the pool and on the athletics track have put SA on the map at fifth place overall in the medal tally.

Akani Simbine won gold in the men’s 100m sprint, while his teammate, Paarl-born Henricho Bruintjies, won silver. Watch them win the race and celebrate together:

 

As sports writer Gary Lemke said on Twitter, this is one of the greatest moments in South African sporting history.

 

Team South Africa’s official Twitter feed was a constant stream of successes, celebrations and more medal announcements today, as the athletes built on SA’s existing stash of 9 medals.

 

Medal #10 – lawn bowls – SILVER

Elma Davis, Johanna Snyman, Nicolene Neale and Esme Kruger fought the host team Australia and narrowly lost 18-16 to claim silver in the women’s fours lawn bowls event. Thirty-year-old Snyman said, ‘We showed a lot of fighting spirit to get back. This is definitely my best achievement. If you had asked us before the tournament started whether we would have accepted a silver medal if we were given one, then I’d say yes.’ Medals #11 and #12 – para-athletics – SILVER and BRONZE Dyan Buis and Charl du Toit took silver and bronze respectively in the men’s T38 100m. The T38 specification is for athletes with cerebral palsy or similar conditions.

Medal #13 – para-swimming – SILVER

21-year-old Christian Sadie from Pretoria took silver in the S7 men’s 50m freestyle. S7 is a classification for swimmers who have limited use of their legs. “I’m very happy to have won the silver,” Sadie told Team SA. “The race didn’t go as planned, but I’m happy with the medal and happy to have the experience. It means quite a lot to me, growing up watching athletics and swimming, especially the Paralympics and Commonwealth Games. You always dream about being on this type of stage.” Medal #14 – swimming – GOLD Cameron van der Burgh beat world record holder Adam Peaty to win the men’s 50m breaststroke. In a very memorable win, van Der Burgh claimed the gold medal for the third time in this event. “I think this is going to be one of the crowning moments of my career,” he said. “I’m extremely proud.”

 

Medal #15 – swimming – GOLD

New kid on the block Tatjana Shoenmaker Smashed the African record and claimed her second gold of the Commonwealth Games in the women’s 200m breaststroke. “Words can’t describe it, I’m so happy,” she said of her second win. “I definitely exceeded my own exp

Breaststroke legend and Olympic gold medallist Penny Heyns congratulated Tatjana on breaking her longstanding record.

 

Medal #16 – swimming – GOLD

Golden boy Chad le Clos won another race to become the most medalled swimmer in the history of the Commonwealth Games. The men’s 100m butterly win not only broke the Games record that he set in 2014, but also brings his personal Commonwealth medal stash to a whopping 16 over his stellar career.

“I’ve had 13 races at these championships and I couldn’t have had a better week individually,” Le Clos said to Team SA. “I’m very happy and very proud of myself personally. I’m humbled. If I break the performances down, they were expected. I knew there was a lot of pressure, but it was a good win tonight.”

 

Medals #17 and #18 – athletics – GOLD and SILVER

Finally, to round off an overwhelmingly triumphant day for Team South Africa, sprinters Akani Simbine and Henricho Bruintjies won gold and silver in the men’s 100m.

 

 

 

Picture: Twitter @ArriveAlive

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