Team SA wins first Medal on Day 1 of 2024 Paris Olympics

Team South Africa has won its first medal on day one of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. The men’s Sevens rugby team repeated their 2016 Rio Olympics performance, winning bronze at the Stade de France.

They beat Australia 26-19 in the play-off match.

Australia who led 7-5 at halftime, had a player sent off for a dangerous tackle with just less than five minutes remaining. But the Blitzboks still needed a try in injury time to secure victory and win the bronze medal.

Earlier, the Sevens Rugby Team suffered a 19-5 loss to hosts France in the semi-finals.

The French ran in three tries to the Blitzboks’ one and are guaranteed a medal on Saturday night. They’ll play defending Champions Fiji in the final.

It was a bit of a tense and nervy start from both teams at the Stade de France, with neither side asking the right questions, nor threatening the try-line.

They shared possession and territory, but again neither the French nor the South Africans could break the deadlock — going into half-time tied nil-all.

It was Tristan Leyds who eventually dotted down for the visitors early in the second half. But France replied swiftly, scoring almost immediately after to first level the match and then take the lead.

The hosts ran in two more tries to record a 19-5 victory and book their place in the final.

Hockey

In other action from the day session, South Africa’s men’s hockey team got their campaign underway against the Netherlands, sadly losing 5-3.

It was not the start that they would have wanted in their opening Pool A encounter, but the South Africans gave the top-ranked Dutch a run for their money.

They were solid on defense and piling on the pressure, they kept in touch with their opponents for the better part of the match.

Mustaphaa Cassiem, Tevin Kok and Matthew Guise-Brown all added their names to the scoresheet, but it was the Dutch who walked away with the three points.

South Africa will play Great Britain in their next match on Sunday evening.

Swimming

Earlier, Erin Gallagher reserved her place in the semi-finals of the 100m  butterfly. Racing in the last of the four heats, Gallagher was one of the quickest starters, but she eventually finished in sixth place, with a time of 57 point eight zero seconds — qualifying 13th fastest for semis.