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Team South Africa’s Wednesdays Results

Tanika LaskeyFeatures, NewsLeave a Comment on Team South Africa’s Wednesdays Results

Team South Africa had some incredible results from Wednesday, 31 August. 

Triathlon: Women’s Individual
Vicky van der Merwe put in a fighting effort to finish 46th in the Women’s Triathlon race early on Wednesday morning

Rowing: Women’s Single Sculls Semi Finals C/D
Paige Badenhorst finished 1st in her semi final race in the C/D section of the competition. She will next compete in the C Final, where she will battle for the 13th 18th position overall.
She races on Saturday, 3 August.

Triathlon: Men’s Individual
Henri Schoeman and Jamie Riddle finished 20th and 25th, respectively, in the Men’s Triathlon race that was postponed from Tuesday.
Conditions were challenging both in and out of the water for the Paris 2024 Olympic triathlon. The race was postponed due to high E. coli levels in the River Seine. Team SA members, Schoeman (20th) and Riddle (25th), noted the mental strain of the delay but highlighted the difficult swimming conditions. Schoeman leveraged his lifesaving background to gain an early advantage but fell short on the run. Riddle, despite his experience with strong currents, was surprised by the water’s strength and suffered leg cramps. 

Hockey: Women
Team South Africa’s women continued their streak of scoring in every match played at these Games. However, today’s effort was not enough to see them past Great Britain, going down by a single goal: 2-1.

Both South Africa and Great Britain entered their match at the 2024 Paris Games seeking their first win. Great Britain triumphed 2-1, leaving Team SA at the bottom of Pool B with three losses. Despite leading 1-0 early from a deflected shot by Kayla de Waal, South Africa couldn’t maintain their advantage. Amy Costello equalized for Great Britain, and Hannah French scored the winning goal. South Africa missed several opportunities to level the score. Edith Molikoe expressed disappointment but optimism for the remaining games.

Rowing: Men’s Pair: 
Team South Africa’s men’s pair, Christopher Baxter and John Smith, finished 4th in their race just outside of the qualification position for the finals.
The pair will next race on Friday, 2 August to battle it out for the 7th – 12th position.

Swimming: Men’s 200m Backstroke
Pieter Coetze finished 2nd in his semi final race, and qualifies for the final on Thursday evening. Earlier in the day Pieter swam the third fastest time overall in the morning heats.

Swimming: Women’s 200m Breaststroke
Tatjana Smith and Kaylene Corbett both made it through their semi final races, and qualified for the final race on Thursday, 1 August.
Tatjana Smith aims for gold in the women’s 200m breaststroke at the 2024 Paris Games to become South Africa’s greatest Olympian with four medals. She already has two golds and one silver. Despite a recent loss to Kate Douglass, Smith is favored for gold. Kaylene Corbett also qualified for her finals, with Corbett potentially joining Smith on the podium. Smith’s training under coach Rocco Meiring, along with her recent 100m gold, bolsters confidence in her success.

Hockey: Men
Team South Africa’s played to a 3- 0 defeat against Spain in their penultimate pool match.
The Poll A hockey match between Team SA and Spain at the 2024 Paris Olympics was played without spectators due to a weather evacuation. Both teams struggled in the silent, empty stadium, ending the first quarter goalless. Spain’s Marc Reyne scored after South Africa received a yellow card, leading 1-0 at halftime. South Africa’s efforts to equalize were thwarted, including a disallowed goal and a saved penalty stroke. Spain capitalized on defensive errors, adding two more goals to win 3-0, eliminating Team SA from the Games.


Best Trisuit I’ve Ever Used!

Roxanne MartinTried & TestedLeave a Comment on Best Trisuit I’ve Ever Used!

I already knew the great reputation of 2XU products, but I was still blown away by the new 2XU Compression Full Zip Sleeved Trisuit. Here’s what I found after putting it through its paces, in swim, bike and run tests. – by Alistair Cronk

You don’t just claim to be the World’s Best Technical Sportswear brand for nothing… and the latest Trisuit from 2XU pulls out all the stops! The Compression Full Zip Sleeved Trisuit has all the features a triathlete could ask for, and nothing has been spared to provide athletes with the best possible trisuit on the market. The manufacturer has used an array of different fabrics to give you the best possible fit, feel and comfort while still providing you with a world-class product!

The 2XU brand, pronounced Two Times You, has been around since 2005. Launched in Melbourne, Australia and starting out as a specialist run and triathlon brand, 2XU is particularly renowned for its compression wear, but all its technical gear is top class, and thus I was really excited to be asked to test this new trisuit.

At First Glance

In life, I have always believed that if you look good, you feel good. Holding this trisuit in my hands for the first time, I could just feel the quality. The entire suit has been designed and manufactured to the highest standards, and I could not wait to try it on.

I will admit that I was a little sceptical about the compression at first, wondering how I was going to get into the Trisuit, but boy, what a fit! It feels instantly comfortable thanks to its panelled cut and flatlock stitching. Also, it’s supportive without being restrictive, and offers more freedom of movement than you might expect. With the jacket top and full zip, it makes getting the suit on and off even easier, especially for those ‘nature breaks.’

The Suit Essentials

Part of the Trisuit is made of Swiss Vent fabric, which was designed and created in accordance with 2XU’s testing by RMIT University. This material’s matrix knit allows the Trisuit to breathe while using Coldblack technology to offer protection from the sun on those hot South African race days.

Italian SBR Vent fabric is used on the suit’s arms and chest, designed to provide cooling while still being aerodynamic, with elbow-length sleeves that also give extra protection from the sun. When worn under a wetsuit, I found little to no difference to my stroke, with no pulling on the shoulders giving you that restricted feel. There are two easy-access open pockets on the back that will hold your race-day nutrition.

While the top is already enough to blow your mind, it’s when you move down to the shorts that the real difference comes in… The breathable, aerodynamic material selection is complimented by the added feature of compression, provided by the latest 105D Power Mesh, which allows for greater power output and less muscle oscillation, and thus reduced muscle fatigue during all three legs of a triathlon.

Secondly, the pad is always an important element of a trisuit, especially on those longer races, and the inclusion of the PRO LD Chamois, which is a multi-layered design with low water-absorption foam made in Italy exclusively for 2XU, gives this suit still better performance!

Put to the Test

I was impressed with the Trisuit in the water, both with and without a wetsuit. There was no feeling of drag and hindrance during the swim, and the compression around the legs in the water opened a whole new world, allowing me to deliver a stronger kick. So, when those races with the “no wetsuit swim” come round, this trisuit will deliver, allowing you to glide through the water without the usual feeling of drag or speed-loss.

On the bike, I found the pad to be comfortable for those long sections while on the bars, and although the compression felt a little restrictive at first while in this position, it soon loosened up a little to allow me to perform at my best. On my runs – and once again I can’t stress this enough – the compression around the legs made me feel like I can go harder for longer.

Testing it during the hotter days of early spring, I found the Trisuit kept me cool, and I have no doubt that it will be great to race in it during our hot summer days. I know this because I tested the suit in the heat of the day, and found that I never experience that overheating feeling, but if you are one of those athletes that runs a little on the hot side, the full zip allows for extra cooling.

The correct size of suit is always important, and I found this snug-fitting suit to have no flapping, but it still felt comfortable at the same time. Furthermore, the cleverly designed panelling makes this suit both fast and comfortable. Chaffing was non-existent, as the suit panelling, stitching and the soft edges of the pad and all designed with the athlete in mind. I am not saying you should throw the ‘speed grease’ away, but test the Trisuit for yourself and you’ll see how smooth and comfortable it is.

My Takeaways

I have raced both long- and short-course races, full and half Ironman events, and I have not come across a suit to top the 2XU Compression Full Zip Sleeved Trisuit. This is by far the most comfortable and rewarding trisuit I have tried. Of course, in order to properly review a product, you do need to point out any downsides, and the only one I could find was that I think the pockets on the back could be a little bigger, especially for the brands that offer bigger gels.

But after having tested the 2XU Compression Full Zip Sleeved Trisuit, I would not hesitate in recommending this trisuit to all levels of triathlete. The 2XU diehard fans have probably got their Trisuit on order already, but for those looking for a new trisuit, this would be the one. With its technical and protective fabrics, the comfort and outstanding compression performance across all three legs, the 2XU Compression Full Zip Sleeved Trisuit is one of the best trisuits on the market, ideal for all long-course and short-course athletes, and will be one less thing to worry about on race day.

Get it Here

The 2XU Compression Full Zip Sleeved Trisuit retails at R3499 and can be ordered at https://2xu.co.za/collections/trisuits/products/mt5516d-mens-compression-full-zip-sleeved-trisuit