Rio de Janeiro - "My son told me that whether I came first or last, I was still the best in the world. Now I'm bringing him a medal," Sunette Viljoen grinned, after sealing a memorable silver medal in a tense women's javelin final at the Olympics.
Viljoen’s medal came hours after Henri Schoeman had fought off a chest infection in the lead-up, to secure a stunning bronze medal in the men’s triathlon. Both added to the compelling narrative of comeback stories that Team South Africa has served up in Rio, as the team looked set to hit the 10-medal target set by SASCOC.
Viljoen, who held the lead for four rounds before Sara Kolak of Croatia passed her, winced at how close she came to sealing a dream gold.
"For four years, I was dreaming of becoming Olympic champion. To come so close... I tried and tried, but I got silver," she added.
But, after four Olympic Games, and having lost a would-be medal in the final round of throws before, she couldn't stop smiling at her feats.
"I'm overwhelmed. I think it will take some time to sink in," she explained, reflecting back on a tough few years before getting to this point.
Schoeman and Viljoen both had similar reactions in the immediacy of the moment.
“It is just unbelievable. There are no words, and I am just trying to let it sink in,” Schoeman had said on Copacabana.
Hours later, in a packed Stadio Olimpico, Viljoen was also in a state of disbelief. She is the first female medallist for Team SA at these Games, but she expects to be joined on that list very soon.
"Oh, Caster (Semenya) will win by far. They don't stand a chance," Viljoen said, with the unerring conviction of her medal-winning throw earlier in the night.
These two medals take South Africa's total haul to nine - and there is one more that lies in waiting.
IOL