THE glittering lights of the Olympics opening ceremony have barely been dimmed and it is into the water this morning (7am) for South African medal hope Jordy Smith and his understudy Matthew McGillivray in the surfing event.
The two surfers would have to have been supermen to attend the ceremony because the surfing takes place 17 1730km away from Paris in Tahiti. The island is part of French Polynesia and it has been chosen because it is the only place remotely French that has surfable waves.
The conditions could not be further removed from the placid seas of the Mediterranean Sea that laps the coastline of France.
“The waves here in Tahiti suit anyone willing to risk their life,” Smith told Independent Media with a nervous laugh. “I’ve been surfing Tahiti for 20 years and we’re talking scary waves. It is beauty and the beast out there.
“To win gold, you have to put it all on the line and go for it,” the 36-year-old Red Bull surfer said.
Smith is regarded as the best surfer in the world not to win the world title. He has come close on numerous occasions but has been thwarted by an unfortunate run of injuries.
He is currently fifth in the world rankings and is joined by McGillivray (ranked 20th) and Sarah Baum in the SA surfing team. Each country that has qualified has two men and a woman.
Smith says the usual suspects on the world tour have qualified for the surfing event.
“The very best in the world are here. The world title is down to a collection of results over the year across 10 events. The cream rises to the top over the year but the Olympics is decided over a few days and Mother Nature can play a big role. She is not consistent with the surf and an inexperienced guy could get lucky by getting some good waves.
Smith says it would mean the world to him to get on the podium.
“I qualified for the last Olympics in Tokyo but got injured just before the event. That was a bitter pill to swallow. It is not too often you get a second chance in life, so I am going to put my best foot forward.”
“When that happened I thought I’d never represent South Africa at a Games. No one knew how surfing would be received at the Olympics and whether the opportunity would come round again. I never stopped believing though.”
In Tokyo, Bianca Buitendag was one of only two Team SA medallists and did a lot to put surfing back on the map. Smith wants to deliver more joy and recognition for the sport in South Africa.
“Driving to the airport to fly to Tahiti, it hit me. I’m going to the Olympics for South Africa. The tears started to flow. It’s such an honour representing one’s country and with everything that I’ve been through, to be on the plane was something special.”
Today (Saturday) sees a host of South Africans in action. This morning, Johanita Scholtz is playing in the badminton (9.20am); Alexander Peternell is in the equestrian event (9.30am); Julia Vincent is in the diving (11am); Brandon Valjalo will be on his skateboard at noon; Paige Badenhorst is in the rowing; at 12.45 the men’s hockey team have a tough opener against The Netherlands; swimmer Erin Gallagher is in the butterfly heats from 11am; and cyclists Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio, Tiffany Keep and Ryan Gibbons are in action from 2.30pm.
The big one for Team SA is the Sevens semi-final at 3.30pm against hosts France. Lest we forget that it was at the same Stade de France venue that the Boks knocked France out of the 2023 World Cup in an unforgettable quarter-final. Can lightning strike twice?
