South Africa competed at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Originally scheduled to take place from 24 July to 9 August 2020, the Games were postponed to 23 July to 8 August 2021, because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was the nation's eighth consecutive appearance at the Games in the post-apartheid era, and twentieth overall in Summer Olympic history.
A week before the Games started, two football players and a video analyst were tested positive for COVID-19 while staying at the Olympic Village.
Medalists
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Medal Name Sport Event Date Tatjana Schoenmaker Swimming Women's 200 metre breaststroke Tatjana Schoenmaker Swimming Women's 100 metre breaststroke Bianca Buitendag Surfing Women's shortboard
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Medals by sportSport TotalSurfing0101Swimming1102Total1203
Multiple medallists The following competitors won several medals at the 2020 Olympic Games. Name Medal Sport Event Swimming Women's 200 metre breaststrokeWomen's 100 metre breaststroke
Competitors The following is the list of number of competitors in the Games. Note that reserves in field hockey and football are not counted: SportMenWomenTotalArtistic swimming 0 2 2Athletics 25 5 30Cycling 7 4 11Diving 0 2 2Equestrian 0 2 2Field hockey 16 16 32Football 17 0 17Golf 2 1 3Gymnastics 0 2 2Judo 0 1 1Rowing 6 0 6Rugby sevens 12 0 12Sailing 3 0 3Skateboarding 2 2 4Sport climbing 1 1 2Surfing 0 1 1Swimming 8 9 17Triathlon 2 2 4Water polo 13 13 26 Total 115 64 179
Artistic swimming
South Africa fielded a squad of two artistic swimmers to compete in the women's duet event, by securing a berth as the highest-ranked pair, not yet qualified, from Africa at the 2019 FINA World Championships in Gwangju, South Korea, heralding the country's return to the sport for the first time since Barcelona 1992.
AthleteEventTechnical routineFree routine (preliminary)Free routine (final)PointsRankPointsTotal (technical + free)RankPointsTotal (technical + free)RankClarissa JohnstonLaura StrugnellDuet70.90992172.1667143.076621Did not advance
Athletics (track and field)
Thirty South African athletes achieved the entry standards, either by qualifying time or by world ranking, in the following track and field events (up to a maximum of 3 athletes in each event):
Track & road events Men AthleteEventHeatQuarterfinalSemifinalFinalTimeRankTimeRankTimeRankTimeRankGift Leotlela100 mcolspan=2 10.041 Q10.034Did not advanceShaun Maswanganyicolspan=2 10.123 Q10.106Did not advanceAkani Simbinecolspan=2 10.081 Q9.904 q9.934Anaso Jobodwana200 m20.783 Qcolspan=2 rowspan=3 20.888Did not advanceShaun Maswanganyi20.582 Q20.184Did not advanceClarence Munyai20.494 q20.496Did not advanceZakithi Nene400 m45.745rowspan=3 colspan=2Did not advanceWayde van Niekerk45.253 Q45.145Did not advanceThapelo Phora45.835Did not advanceLesiba Mashele5000 m13:48.2515colspan=4Did not advanceAntonio Alkana110 m hurdles13.556colspan=2 Did not advanceSokwakhana Zazini400 m hurdles49.513 Qcolspan=2 48.996Did not advanceGift LeotlelaShaun MaswanganyiClarence MunyaiGalaletsang RamorwaAkani Simbine4 × 100 m relaycolspan=4 Did not advanceRanti DikgaleZakithi NeneThapelo PhoraLythe PillayWayde van Niekerk4 × 400 m relay3:01.187colspan=4 Did not advanceElroy GelantMarathoncolspan=6 rowspan=3 2:16:4334Desmond MokgobuStephen MokokaWayne Snyman20 km walkcolspan=6 1:24.3320Marc Mundell50 km walkcolspan=6 4:14:3740
Women AthleteEventHeat SemifinalFinalTimeRankTimeRankTimeRankDominique Scott5000 m15:13.9413colspan=2 Did not advance10000 mcolspan=4 32:14.0520Wenda Nel400 m hurdles56.063 Q56.357Did not advanceGerda SteynMarathoncolspan=4 rowspan=2 2:32.1015Irvette van Zyl
Field events AthleteEventQualificationFinalDistancePositionDistancePositionCheswill JohnsonMen's long jump—Did not advanceRuswahl Samaai7.7422Did not advanceKyle BlignautMen's shot put20.978 q21.006Jason van Rooyen20.2919Did not advanceRocco van RooyenMen's javelin throw77.4123Did not advanceJo Ane van DykWomen's javelin throw57.6924Did not advance
Cycling
Road South Africa entered a squad of five riders (three men and two women) to compete in their respective Olympic road races, by virtue of their top 50 national finish (for men) and top 22 (for women) in the UCI World Ranking.
AthleteEventTimeRankStefan de BodMen's road race6:16:5352Men's time trial57:57.1014Nicholas DlaminiMen's road raceDid not finishRyan GibbonsDid not finishAshleigh Moolman-PasioWomen's road race3:54:3113Women's time trial32:37.608Carla OberholzerWomen's road raceDid not finish
Track Following the completion of the 2020 UCI Track Cycling World Championships, South African riders accumulated spots for both men and women in the sprint and keirin, as well as the men's omnium and madison, based on their country's results in the final UCI Olympic rankings.
Sprint AthleteEventQualificationRound 1Repechage 1Round 2Repechage 2QuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinalTimeSpeed (km/h)RankOppositionTimeSpeed (km/h)OppositionTimeSpeed (km/h)OppositionTimeSpeed (km/h)OppositionTimeSpeed (km/h)OppositionTimeSpeed (km/h)OppositionTimeSpeed (km/h)OppositionTimeSpeed (km/h)RankJean SpiesMen's sprint9.78773.56727Did not advanceCharlene du PreezWomen's sprint10.97465.61022 QLLDid not advance
Keirin AthleteEvent1st RoundRepechage2nd Round3rd RoundFinalRankRankRankRankRankJean SpiesMen's keirin5 R5Did not advanceCharlene du PreezWomen's keirin4 R5Did not advance
Omnium AthleteEventScratch raceTempo raceElimination racePoints raceTotal pointsRankRankPointsRankPointsRankPointsPointsRankDavid MareeMen's omnium2021861512−3718−1719
Mountain biking South Africa entered one rider each to compete in both men's and women's cross-country race, respectively, by virtue of their best individual ranking at the 2019 African Championships.
AthleteEventTimeRankAlan HatherlyMen's cross-country1:26:338Candice LillWomen's cross-country1:26:2024
BMX South African riders qualified for one men's quota place in BMX at the Olympics, by accepting a continental berth for Africa from the Union Cycliste Internationale based on its rankings of June 1, 2021.
AthleteEventQuarterfinalSemifinalFinalPointsRankPointsRankResultRankAlex LimbergMen's race206 Did not advance
Diving
South African divers qualified for two individual spots each in the women's springboard, respectively, at the Games through the 2019 African Qualifying Meet in Durban and the 2021 FINA World Cup series in Tokyo.
AthleteEventPreliminarySemifinalFinalPointsRankPointsRankPointsRankMicaela BouterWomen's 3 m springboard216.1526Did not advanceJulia Vincent228.9025Did not advance
Equestrian
South Africa entered two riders into the Olympic equestrian competition by the following results: a top two finish each, outside the group selection, of the individual FEI Olympic Rankings for Group F (Africa and Middle East) in both dressage and eventing, respectively.
Dressage Rio 2016 pair of Seymour and Ramoneur got nominated to compete on June 18, 2021. The Tokyo Olympics are to be the final career international competition for the Oldenburg stallion. Seymour was forced to withdraw while in Tokyo after Ramoneur suffered laminitis.
AthleteHorseEventGrand Prix Grand Prix FreestyleOverallScoreRankTechnicalArtisticScoreRankTanya SeymourRamoneurIndividualWithdrew due to her horse Ramoneur's laminitis Qualification Legend: Q = Qualified for the final; q = Qualified for the final as a lucky loser
Eventing AthleteHorseEventDressageCross-countryJumpingTotalQualifierFinalPenaltiesRankPenaltiesTotalRankPenaltiesTotalRankPenaltiesTotalRankPenaltiesRankVictoria Scott-LegendreValtho des PeupliersIndividual39.505319.8059.3034Withdrew
Field hockey
Summary
TeamEventGroup StageQuarterfinalSemifinalFinal / OppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreRankOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreRankSouth Africa men'sMen's tournamentL 1–3L 3–5L 4–9W 4–3D 4–45Did not advanceSouth Africa women'sWomen's tournamentL 0–2L 1–4L 0–5L 1–4L 3–46Did not advance
Men's tournament
South Africa men's field hockey team qualified for the Olympics by winning the 2019 Men's African Olympic Qualifier in Stellenbosch.
Team roster
Group play
Women's tournament
South Africa women's field hockey team qualified for the Olympics by winning the 2019 Women's African Olympic Qualifier in Stellenbosch.
Team roster
Group play
Football (soccer)
Summary
TeamEventGroup StageQuarterfinalSemifinalFinal / OppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreRankOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreRank South Africa men'sMen's tournamentL 0–1L 3–4L 0–34Did not advance
Men's tournament
South Africa men's football team qualified for the Games by winning the bronze medal and securing the last of three available berths of the 2019 Africa U-23 Cup of Nations.
Team roster
Group play
Golf
South Africa entered two golfers (both men) into the Olympic tournament. Christiaan Bezuidenhout (world no. 46), Garrick Higgo (world no. 38), and Ashleigh Buhai (world no. 76) qualified directly among the top 60 eligible players for their respective events based on the IGF World Rankings. Louis Oosthuizen and Lee-Anne Pace were initially selected but opted not to play. Ashleigh Buhai later withdrew and was replaced by Paula Reto who also withdrew.
AthleteEventRound 1Round 2Round 3Round 4TotalScoreScoreScoreScoreScoreParRankChristiaan BezuidenhoutMen's68706867273−7=16Garrick Higgo71717072284E=53
Gymnastics
Artistic South Africa entered two artistic gymnast into the Olympic competition. Caitlin Rooskrantz received a spare berth from the women's apparatus events, as one of the twelve highest-ranked gymnasts, neither part of the team nor qualified directly through the all-around, at the 2019 World Championships in Stuttgart, Germany. Meanwhile, Naveen Daries claimed an additional place to join Rooskrantz on the South African squad with a bronze-medal finish in the women's individual all-around at the 2021 African Championships in Cairo, Egypt.
Women AthleteEventQualificationFinalApparatusTotalRankApparatusTotalRankNaveen DariesAll-around13.30012.3668.93311.76646.36576Did not advanceCaitlin Rooskrantz12.80013.30012.20011.63349.93361Did not advance
Judo
South Africa qualified one judoka for the women's extra-lightweight category (48 kg) at the Games. Geronay Whitebooi received a continental berth from Africa as the nation's top-ranked judoka outside of direct qualifying position in the IJF World Ranking List of June 28, 2021.
AthleteEventRound of 32Round of 16QuarterfinalsSemifinalsRepechageFinal / OppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultRankGeronay WhitebooiWomen's −48 kgL 001–100Did not advance
Rowing
South Africa qualified one boat in the men's pair by finishing third in the B-final and securing ninth out of eleven berths available at the 2019 FISA World Championships in Ottensheim, Austria. Meanwhile, the men's coxless four rowers were added to the South African roster with their top-two finish at the 2021 FISA Final Qualification Regatta in Lucerne, Switzerland.
AthleteEventHeatsRepechageSemifinalsFinalTimeRankTimeRankTimeRankTimeRankLuc DaffarnJake GreenMen's pair7:04.035 R6:57.014 Did not advanceLawrence BrittainKyle SchoonbeeJohn SmithSandro TorrenteMen's four6:25.345 R6:30.34 6 FB colspan=2 6:09.85 10 Qualification Legend: FA=Final A (medal); FB=Final B (non-medal); FC=Final C (non-medal); FD=Final D (non-medal); FE=Final E (non-medal); FF=Final F (non-medal); SA/B=Semifinals A/B; SC/D=Semifinals C/D; SE/F=Semifinals E/F; QF=Quarterfinals; R=Repechage
Rugby sevens
Summary TeamEventGroup stageQuarterfinal/ ClassificationSemifinal/ ClassificationFinal / OppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreRankOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreRankSouth Africa men'sMen's tournamentW 33–14W 14–5W 17–121 QL 19–14W 22–19W 28–75
Men's tournament