South Africa's top golfers sign up for Paris Olympics as Team SA tops 140

South Africa’s top-ranked golfers will compete at the Olympics in Paris, making a change from previous games where several big names stayed away.

The South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) on Friday named more competitors for the showpiece that will kickoff in the French capital on July 27.

Christiaan Bezuidenhout and Erik van Rooyen will play in the men’s tournament at Le Golf National outside Paris from August 1-4 while Ashleigh Buhai and Paula Reto will take part in the women’s competition from August 7-10.

Several of South Africa's top golfers stayed away from the past two Games, with the Zika virus providing a scare before Rio 2016 and Covid-19 causing unprecedented complications for Tokyo 2020.

This time it’s a full house in a sport where a medal or two is a distinct possibility. Unheralded South Africa-born Rory Sabbatini won silver for Slovakia in Tokyo. 

Bezuidenhout is ranked 40th and Van Rooyen 65th, while Buhai is 43rd and Reto 202nd.

The Blitzboks, who secured qualification last weekend, were added to the team list as were three skateboarders, including Tokyo veterans Brandon Valjalo and Dallas Oberholzer.

Paige Badenhorst will row the women’s single scull while Alex Peternell, who won his spot at London 2012 after taking Sascoc to court, will take part in eventing.

BMX rider Vincent Leygonie has been added to the cycling team and judoka Geronay Whitebooi, another survivor of Tokyo, will be in action in Paris.

According to Sascoc, Team South Africa now numbers 140 in 19 codes.

The number will grow a little more with at least a few athletes yet to be included, but it won’t top the 179 from three years ago.

Sascoc, which announced a R400,000 incentive for gold medallists, R200,000 for silver and R75,000 for bronze, clarified the situation for relays and team sports, who will receive R100,000 each for gold, R75,000 for silver and R50,000 for bronze.

Two-people endeavours, namely the men's pair, will see each rower receiving R200,000 for gold, R100,000 for silver and R40,000 for bronze. 

Coaches will also be rewarded at R100,000 for team gold, R75,000 for team silver and R50,000 for team bronze, or R100,000 for rowing gold, R50,000 for rowing silver and R20,000 for rowing bronze. 

For individual medals coaches will earn R100,000 for gold, R50,000 for silver and R25,000 for bronze.  

The competitors named on Friday are:

Cycling

• Vincent Leygonie (BMX)
• Jean-Pierre Jacobs (coach)

Equestrian

• Men: Alexander Peternell (eventing)
• Management: Ingeborg Sanne (manager), Elinor Capostagno (groom)

Golf

• Men: Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Erik van Rooyen
• Women: Ashleigh Buhai, Paula Reto
• Caddies: Tertius Marais, Alex Gaugert, Tanya Paterson, Jeremy Sharpe
• Management: Dornay Lombard

Judo

• Women: Geronay Whitebooi
• Manager/coach: William Matike Ndoumbe

Rowing

• Women: Paige Badenhorst (single scull)

Rugby sevens

• Men: Christoffel Grobbelaar, Ryan Oosthuizen, Impi Visser, Zain Davids, Quewin Nortje, Tiaan Pretorius, Shaun Williams, Selvyn Davids, Tristan Leyds, Rosko Specman, Siviwe Soyizwapi, Shilton van Wyk, Katlego Letebele, Ronald Brown, Mfundo Ndhlovu, David Brits
• Management: Philip Snyman (head coach), Ghafoer Luckan (assistant coach), Marius Schoeman, Ashley Evert

Skateboarding

• Men: Brandon Valjalo (street), Andre Oberholzer (park)
• Women: Boipelo Awuah (street)
• Manager/coach: Wendy Gila