Twenty-five University of Pretoria (UP) athletes, five Tuks Alumni, eight coaches and one referee have been selected to represent South Africa at this year’s Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.

UP athletes have a proud tradition when it comes to competing at the Olympics. During the 2012 London Games in England and 2016 Rio Olympics, Brazil, UP athletes won six medals – two gold, three silver and one bronze – and, judging by recent feats, it’s looking highly likely that UP competitors could medal in Tokyo.

Swimmer Tatjana Schoenmaker is a promising medal contender. In April, during the Olympic trials in Gqeberha, she won the 200-metre (m) breaststroke in 2:20.17, one of the fastest times ever. She also set African records in the 50m (30:32) and 100m breaststroke (1:05.74). Schoenmaker has also medalled at every major international championship over the past four years. During the 2017 World Student Games, she won silver in the 200m breaststroke and two gold medals at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games (100m and 200m breaststroke). She repeated the latter win at the 2019 World Student Games. That same year, Schoenmaker also won silver at the World Championships.

As for track and field events, many think that the US sprinters could win all three medals in the 100 metres. (The last time that happened was during the 1912 Stockholm Games in Sweden.) The statistics certainly favour the Americans to dominate the short sprint: Trayvon Bromell is the fastest thus far, having run 9.77 seconds (s) this season; Ronnie Baker clocked 9.85s; and Fred Kerley 9.86s.

But the man that could pose a threat to the Americans is UP’s Akani Simbine, who looks to be in peak form. Most recently, he finished second in the men’s 100m at the World Athletics Diamond League meeting in Monaco – this having come off a super-fast 9.84s in Hungary, in which he set a new South African and African record. Previously, he came fourth in the 2019 Doha World Championships final. Over the past four years, Simbine has outsprinted most of the world’s best runners at least once.

Gift Leotlela is another athlete to watch. He clocked 9.94s, which ranks him as one of the eight fastest sprinters in the world this season.

South Africa’s 4 x 100m and 4 x 400m relay teams have also qualified for the Tokyo Games. Simbine, Gift Leotlela and Clarence Munayi were part of the team won gold at the World Athletics Relay Championships.

South Africa’s rowers, who are all based at UP, are also expected to make an impressive showing at the Games. During the 2012 London Games, the SA lightweight fours rowing team, also known as the “Oarsome Foursome”, won gold, while Lawrence Brittain and Shaun Keeling teamed up to win silver in the men’s pairs at the Rio Games

The UP athletes selected for the Tokyo Olympic Games are:

Track and field: Akani Simbine (100m), Gift Leotlela (100m), Clarence Munyai (200m),Thapelo Phora (400m), Wayne Snyman (20km race walk), Kyle Blignaut (shot put), Wenda Nel (400m hurdles), Ranto Dikgale (400m), UP alumni Marc Mundell (50km race-walk)

Swimming: Tatjana Schoenmaker (200m breaststroke), Kaylene Corbett (200m breaststroke), Dune Coetzee (relay) and Pieter Coetze (100m backstroke)

Rowing: John Smith, Lawrence Brittain, Kyle Schoonbee and Sandro Torrente (men’s coxless fours); Jake Green and Luc Daffarn (men’s coxless pairs)

Rugby sevens: UP alumni Impi Visser.

Judo: Michaela Whitebooi

Hockey (women): Edith Molikoe, Onthatile Zulu, Lerato Mohale and Marizen Marais (travelling reserve). Men: Nqobile Ntuli, Samkelo Mvimbi, and UP alumni Matthew Guise-Brown, Nduduzo Lembethe and Phumelela Mbande

Coaches: Paul Gorries and Irma Reyneke (athletics); Rocco Meiring (swimming) Lindsey Parry (triathlon); Nkuliso Zondi and Siphesihle Ntuli (hockey), Nikola Filipov (judo) and Roger Barrow (rowing).

Fencing: Andrei Kovrijnykh (referee)