Imagine one family having a Springboks Rugby World Cup medal and an Olympic gold. Can you guess the Springboks rugby player and Olympic athlete?
Success, speed, drive, and determination run in the blood of this family, with both a world-class Springbok and an Olympic athlete already securing golds.
Wayde van Niekerk famously won gold in the 2016 Olympics in Rio, Brazil.
Meanwhile, his cousin, Cheslin Kolbe, has added two Rugby World Cup gold medals with the Springboks to the family tree.
SPRINGBOKS COUSIN GOES FOR GOLD
Springboks speedster Cheslin Kolbe is one of the quickest players in SA Rugby and one of the fastest players in World Rugby. Clearly, speed runs in the family (pun intended).
As mentioned, van Niekerk won gold in the 400m at the 2016 Olympics. However, he will not be competing in this year’s 400m race as he is solely focused on the 200m race.
Additionally, he could represent South Africa in the 4x100m relay.
VAN NIEKERK TURNS HIS ATTENTION TO 200M
In fact, he is now listed to only compete in the men’s 200m, Olympics.com confirmed.
Moreover, he is one of the men who could run the 4x100m relay for Team SA.
“Van Niekerk is also listed in the pool of runners available for selection to the men’s relay teams. South Africa qualified for the 4x100m and the 4x400m, where the country is considered a top medal contender after their silver at the 2024 World Relays,” the same publication added.
