Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 90, January 2017 | Page 14

Ma In The Lead

Bronze is
just the
Beginning!
BEGINNING!

Having won an Olympic bronze medal in Rio, Henri Schoeman has the
triathlon world at his feet, and he says he is hungry for more success in
the sport he has made his focus since he was 16 years old.
– BY KYLE DEELEY

Having watched his SA teammate Richard Murray
finish third to claim the bronze medal, Henri
was back in action a few days later in the mixed
team event alongside Richard, Gillian Sanders
and Katie Roberts, and this time things went
exactly to plan. “The team race was extremely
exciting! It was a great opportunity to be part of
a team and on the day the South African team

Winning in Cozumel

14

executed the perfect race. We had the best
team spirit out there and that contributed a
lot to our silver medal finish. Winning that
Commonwealth medal is something I will
always remember and cherish.”

BIGGER AND BETTER
Fast forward two years and Henri went to the Rio
Olympics on the back of a solid couple of years
on the ITU world circuit, including a prestigious
win in the World Triathlon Series Grand Finale in
Cozumel, Mexico, shortly before the Olympics.
“Being the first South African and only the fourth
man to ever win a WTS Grand Final is something
I am extremely proud of,” says Henri. However,
he arrived in Rio with a suspected respiratory
illness: “I had a fever the whole week before the
race, and the doctor only gave me the all-clear
to be on the start line a few days before the
race.” Fortunately, race day saw the young South
African enjoy an incredible race, and despite a
tough bike leg, he was able to push harder than
ever on the run to come home third and claim
the Olympic bronze medal (with Richard using
his running strength to recover from a slow start
to finish fourth). It was SA’s first ever medal in
Olympic triathlon.
Unsurprisingly, Henri says his Rio medal-winning
performance really put him on the map and
triggered big changes in terms of his profile,
invites, and endorsements. “The bronze medal
in Rio is the highlight of my career thus far,
a dream come true. It felt great but was also
a very humbling experience standing on the

ISSUE 90 JANUARY 2017 / www.modernathlete.co.za

podium, proud
of my achievement and realising that
all the sacrifice and hard work had finally paid
off. Since then life has become extremely busy,
with many requests for interviews, appearances
and talks. I have become more recognised in
South Africa as well as on the triathlon circuit,
and so far sponsorships and endorsements have
increased quite a bit coming into 2017, which is
always a good thing!”
He adds that Rio has proven to be a lifechanging experience, much more so than
Glasgow. “It’s two completely different cultures,
although similar from a Games layout and
protocol perspective. The Olympic experience
is very special and unique, and to be there
and represent my country was a very proud
achievement. Also, the atmosphere of staying
with Team South Africa was cool and the medical
team went above and beyond to make sure
everyone was attended to and fit and healthy to
perform at their best.”

DESTINED FOR STARDOM
Born in Vereeniging in 1991 but having lived in
Durban since high school age, Henri participated
in various sports at school, including crosscountry, surf-lifesaving, swimming, karate,
duathlon and triathlon, but swimming was his

Images: Christiaan Kotze/SASPA & Pablo Lancaster Jones & Cactus Images

T

he 2014 Commonwealth Games
triathlon event in Glasgow, Scotland,
left Durban-based SA pro triathlete
Henri Schoeman with mixed feelings…
It was his first major Games, having turned pro
the year before, and he was in good form, which
saw him up with the leaders on the bike leg in
the individual race. “I think it might have been a
little too early for a great performance. However,
I set myself up for possible medal contention by
being in a breakaway with the Brownlee brothers
of England and another Scottish athlete, but
then I crashed very early in the bike leg and fell
back to the large chase group, and I finished in a
disappointing 16th place,” says Henri.