Since the London Games in 2012, athletes who have trained at the University of Pretoria (UP) as members of the various clubs at that time have won 11 medals – five gold, five silver and one bronze – accounting for nearly half the medals South Africa has won at the past four Olympic Games.

And once again, at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, half of South Africa’s medal haul – three of six medals – was claimed by athletes who trained at or are alumni of UP: Tatjana Smith (one gold, one silver) and Akani Simbine (one silver as part of the men’s 4x100m relay).

As the athletes and coaches at UP’s Sports Campus (the home of TuksSport)  know, when you chase perfection, you catch excellence. UP and TuksSport have been proud to provide a home and supportive environment for these and other high-achieving athletes during their years leading up to the various Games.

At the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, iconic UP-Tuks trained swimmer Tatjana Smith won the 100-metre breaststroke and was second in the 200-metre breaststroke. With a total Olympic tally of four medals – two gold, two silver – Smith is now the most successful South African Olympian in history (Chad le Clos also has four medals, but Smith has two golds to his one).

Smith is also a #ProudlyUP alumna, who graduated from UP with a BCom Financial Sciences degree in 2020.

Akani Simbine, the renowned sprinter who trained at UP as a student-athlete and member of the TuksAthletics club for many years, also made his country proud with a silver-medal win in the 4x100m relay. Simbine obtained a Bachelor of Information Science degree from UP in 2017.    

Coaching for Olympic glory

Rocco Meiring, who coached five of the eight swimmers in South Africa’s Paris team, is arguably one of the world's best. Since 2018, he has guided UP swimmers to medals at the Commonwealth Games, World Championships and the Olympic Games.

In addition to Smith and her training partner, fellow UP alumna Kaylene Corbett (who also made the final in the 200m breaststroke in two consecutive Games), he also trained Pieter Coetze to qualification for the Olympic 100- and 200-metre backstroke finals, as well as Paris 2024 team members Erin Gallagher and Matthew Sates. Coetze set African records in both of his events.

Outside the pool, Ilze Wicksell coached UP medical student Edmund du Plessis, who proved he is a star on the rise in the 800-metre run at the 2024 Games, but just missed out on qualifying for the final.

UP and TuksSport High School academy coach Samuel Sepeng helped TuksSport High School graduate Prudence Sekgodiso race the 800-metre final in Paris, in which she finished 7th.

SA’s Olympic titan signs off

Smith – who announced her retirement after bagging her two awards this year – acknowledged her supportive community. "It took a 'village' to get me where I am today,” she says. “I swam for everyone who has been there for me and believed in me.”

In this spirit, she dedicates her gold medal to every South African.

"I hope my achievements inspire young athletes to believe anything is possible."

Listen to Tatjana Smith, Olympic gold medallist and UP alumna on the LeadUP Podcast, describing her journey of "Swimming for hope".