Triumph and Trials: Alan Hatherly's Historic Olympic Medal
Paris, France (30 July 2024) – On the second and final day of cross-country mountain biking at Elancourt Hill, Alan Hatherly, who is currently first in the world championship secured the countries second bronze medal of this Olympics. This marked a historic moment as it was the first mountain bike Olympic medal for an African, making South Africa the 16th country to win a medal in this discipline.
Seeing South Africa win a medal feels like a unique experience. It often feels like no one else cares about our athletes and their achievements. Watching online or on TV, knowing that it is such a big thing for us as South Africans I didn’t realise how siloed that is. Granted, we don’t win many medals, but each one represents a monumental struggle.
The commentators mentioned that Hatherly, being from South Africa, should be accustomed to the heat. However, after the race, he admitted that he struggled with the conditions and had hoped to challenge for gold. No one raced with air conditioning, and the conditions were tough for everyone. But being South African and being in the French heat are not the same thing. I found it difficult just standing around watching and waiting.
The Men’s Race DramaAlan Hatherly’s performance on the final day of the men’s race was full of drama. The presence of a strong French contender, similar to the previous day’s women’s race, intensified the crowd’s excitement. The only thing louder than the cheers were the helicopters overhead.
Hatherly faced challenges from the start, falling behind at the first break. Some bad luck struck his competitor and eventual winner, Tom Pidcock, leaving the Frenchman in front with Hatherly trailing. Though he was never leading, Hatherly remained in contention, with the medals being decided by sheer determination rather than chance. It was nearly impossible for me to work during the race excitement and despite the intense heat and humidity, and I found myself shaking as the race progressed.
Tom Pidcock of Great Britain won gold, Victor Koretzky of France took silver, South Africa’s own Alan Hatherly earned bronze.
Interaction with AthletesWinning an Olympic medal is a rare achievement, and it’s much easier to engage with athletes when they’re on a high. The South African athletes I spoke to after their competitions were generally gracious. The Blitzboks were understandably disappointed on Wednesday, but they still managed to answer a few questions, albeit somewhat reluctantly.
Candice Lill’s DeterminationThen came Candice Lill. Despite finishing 20th in a race where she had the potential to place in the top 10 or even the top five, her words not mine (word on the ground was that she could have done even better than that); she remained positive and upbeat. Her tyre broke apart, and the rim was bent, but she ran down and had it fixed; that was on lap two, but she got on the bike and kept going. Fighting for the finish, knowing that she wasn’t going to get what she came for but doing it all anyway.
She faced the media, all three of us, with a smile, provided the facts and emphasised her motivation without making any excuses. She fought her way to the end of the race and assured us that this isn’t the end of her journey. The woman is tough and feisty but polite and gracious. I like her a lot!
In the end, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot of France took gold, Haley Batten of the United States claimed silver, and Jenny Rissveds secured bronze in the women’s event.
What’s next?A few weeks back home as recovery and then back to the world champs circuit in August. Alan as an Olympic medallist (Whoo hoo!) and Candice with a bee in her bonnet.
Zareena Gaibee will be on the ground in Paris for the 2024 Olympics and Paralympics events, sharing her take on the prestigious sporting event, giving exclusive insights into life at the games, and hopefully meeting many of the South Africans in Paris who are competing and supporting. She will be reporting her findings for Good Things Guy, giving readers a glimpse of what flying the flag in Paris is all about.
You can follow her series via Good Things Guy here.
If you would like to talk about sponsorship of this series, please reach out to us via email here.
Sources: Zareena Gaibee Don’t ever miss the Good Things. Download the Good Things Guy App now on Apple or Google. Do you have something to add to this story? Please share it in the comments or follow GoodThingsGuy on Facebook & Twitter to keep up to date with good news as it happens, or share your good news with us by clicking here or click the link below to listen to the Good Things Guy Podcast with Brent Lindeque – South Africa’s very own Good Things Guy. He’s on a mission to change what the world pays attention to, and he truly believes there’s good news around us. In the Good Things Guy podcast, you’ll meet these everyday heroes & hear their incredible stories: Or watch an episode of Good Things TV below, a show created to offer South Africans balance in a world with what feels like constant bad news. We’re here to remind you that there are still so many good things happening in South Africa & we’ll leave you feeling a little more proudly South African. Facebook Comments
