WATCH | Crowd welcomes Olympic golden girl Tatjana, relay members at Joburg airport

13 August 2024 - 10:00 By Marc Strydom And Mahlatse Mphahlele
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Tatjana Smith displays her gold medal as she is greeted by fans after returning from the Paris Olympic Games on Tuesday.
Tatjana Smith displays her gold medal as she is greeted by fans after returning from the Paris Olympic Games on Tuesday.
Image: Mahlatse Mphahlele

A sizeable and noisy crowd, many of them schoolchildren, eagerly greeted some of Team South Africa's returning medal-winning Olympic heroes at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg on Tuesday morning.

Swimmer Tatjana Smith, who won the 100m breaststroke gold and 200m silver medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics which concluded this weekend, arrived at about 10am.

Two members of South Africa's silver-winning men's 4x100m relay team, Bayanda Walaza and Bradley Nkoana, arrived at about 11am.

The other two members of the team were not returning to South Africa immediately.  Shaun Maswanganyi is returning to his base in the US and Akani Simbine has stayed on to compete in events in Europe.

A noisy group of pupils from Walaza's school, Curro Hazeldean, arrived at about 9.15am to boost the volume and crowd size.

Fans greet South Africa's returning Paris Olympics medallist Tatjana Smith at OR Tambo International Airport on Tuesday.
Fans greet South Africa's returning Paris Olympics medallist Tatjana Smith at OR Tambo International Airport on Tuesday.
Image: Marc Strydom
Fans wait for some of South Africa's returning Paris Olympics medallists at OR Tambo International Airport.
Fans wait for some of South Africa's returning Paris Olympics medallists at OR Tambo International Airport.
Image: Marc Strydom

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