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Henricho Bruintjies

Henricho Bruintjies
Bruintjies at the 2016 Olympics
Personal information
Born (1993-07-16) July 16, 1993 (age 31)
Paarl, South Africa
Height1.79 m (5 ft 10+12 in)
Weight72 kg (159 lb; 11 st 5 lb)
Sport
Country South Africa
Event(s)100 metres
200 metres
Coached byMorne Nagel
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)100 m: 9.97 (2015)
200 m: 20.62 (2015)

Henricho Bruintjies (born 16 July 1993) is a South African sprinter. He broke the 10-second barrier with a run of 9.97 seconds in 2015. He has represented his country at the Summer Olympics, World Championships and Commonwealth Games. He is a silver medalist in the 100 metres in the 2018 Commonwealth Games

Career

Bruintjies took up athletics as a grade 1 schoolboy.[1] In 2013, he was the South African under-23 champion in the 100 metres, defeating Akani Simbine in 10.44; at the national senior championships, he placed second behind Simon Magakwe in 10.58.[2][3] He represented South Africa at the 2013 Summer Universiade in the 4 × 100 metres relay; the South African team placed seventh.[2] In 2014, Bruintjies improved his personal best to 10.17A (+1.8 m/s) and ran the opening leg for South Africa's relay team at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow; South Africa placed fourth in a national record 38.35.[2] Bruintjies also competed in the 2014 African Championships, taking part in both the individual 100 metres and the 4 × 100 metres relay; in the individual event, he was eliminated in the semi-finals, while the South African relay team was disqualified in the heats.[2]

2015 was Bruintjies's breakthrough year.[1] On 8 June, he won the 100 m ahead of fellow South African Anaso Jobodwana at the Josef Odložil Memorial in Prague, running 10.06 (+1.5 m/s); the time was his personal best and a South African sea-level record.[3][4] A month later, he ran 9.97 (+0.8 m/s) at near-altitude in La Chaux-de-Fonds, breaking Magakwe's South African record of 9.98; he was the third South African (after Magakwe and Simbine) to break 10 seconds in the 100 metres.[4] Simbine equalled Bruintjies's record at the Universiade only four days later.[4]

Bruintjies was selected for the 2015 World Championships in Beijing.[5]

Bruintjies competed in the 100 m event at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. He finished 6th in his heat with a time of 10.33 seconds and did not advance to the semifinals.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b Nazli Hamilton (9 July 2015). "Bruintjies focused on his own journey". SuperSport. Retrieved 12 August 2015.
  2. ^ a b c d Henricho Bruintjies at Tilastopaja (registration required)
  3. ^ a b Johan van Wyk (14 June 2015). "Bruintjies pure goud" (in Afrikaans). netwerk24.com. Retrieved 12 August 2015.
  4. ^ a b c Ockert de Villiers (10 July 2015). "Bruintjies happy to make parents proud". sport24.co.za. Retrieved 12 August 2015.
  5. ^ Ockert de Villiers (11 August 2015). "Caster confirmed in Team SA squad". sport24.co.za. Retrieved 12 August 2015.
  6. ^ "Rio 2016". Rio 2016. Archived from the original on 26 August 2016. Retrieved 28 August 2016.