Whitebooi’s Olympic journey under the spotlight

“It’s never easy, especially when you dream of being on the podium at the highest level of competition, it’s never easy to return home without a medal.” 

These are the words of Gqeberha-born Geronay Whitebooi whose Olympic medal hopes were cut short in the last 16 of the judo competition at Paris 2024. This was Whitebooi’s second Olympics, but in reaching the last 16, having seen off Argentina’s Jacqueline Solis in her opening contest, she had bettered her return from Tokyo 2020. “I’m pretty happy with my result, but obviously not ecstatic because everyone wants to come home with a medal,” Whitebooi said. In Behind The Herald Headlines with Daron Mann this week, she takes us through the Olympics experience, describing it as “better than Tokyo” and talks about her plans going forward.  We also speak to Olympic medallist and swimmer Ryk Neethling, who shares his thoughts on the competition in the pool so far.  The Herald