ARENA SPORTS SHOW | Hendrick Mokganyetsi expects medals from Team SA at Olympics

In the 29th episode of the Arena Sports Show, presenter Clauiee Grace Mpanza and regular guests Sizwe Mabena and Mahlatse Mphahlele are joined by three-time Olympian Hendrick Mokganyetsi. 

Mokganyetsi, chair of the Athletics South Africa Athletes Commission, is a former middle-distance runner who represented the country at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, 2000 in Sydney and 2004 in Greece.

Mokganyetsi said athletes are prepared for the games and he expects at least four medals from the likes of Akani Simbine, Benjamin Richardson, Stephen Mokoka, Gerda Steyn, Shaun Maswanganyi, Prudence Sekgodiso and Zeney Geldenhuys in athletics. 

Mokganyetsi expects more medals from athletes such as Chad le Clos, Tatjana Smith, Pieter Coetze, Matthew Sates, Aimee Canny, Kaylene Corbett, Erin Gallagher and Rebecca Meder in swimming. 

He hopes for podium finishes in disciplines such as rugby sevens, golf, cycling, gymnastics, fencing, hockey, judo and rowing. 

Mokganyetsi said this Olympics in Paris may be the time for on form Simbine to win an Olympic medal after he came close on numerous occasions in the past. 

He also spoke about Team SA not having Caster Semenya and Luvo Manyonga in France and paid tribute to the late former world high jump champion Jacques Freitag.