Namibian duo show guts at Paris Olympics

On a course generally regarded as the toughest in Olympic history, Helalia Johannes delivered a gutsy performance through the streets of Paris to finish the race in 68th position.

The hilly route stretched from Paris City Hall to the Versailles Palace and back into the French capital's centre, with the finishing line at the Les Invalides complex. The second half of the distance included a 436 metre climb and 438m descent. The maximum gradient on the route was 13.5 percent.

The marathon was held in the morning to avoid the midday heat, with maximum temperatures reaching around 33 degrees Celsius in Paris yesterday.

The 43-year-old, celebrating her 44th birthday on Tuesday, made Namibian history as the first athlete from her country to make a fifth Olympic appearance.

Sprinter Frank Fredericks appeared at the 1992 Barcelona, 1996 Atlanta and 2004 Sydney Olympics, with injury keeping him out of the 2000 Sydney showpiece where he could have added to the four silver medals he achieved in the 100 and 200 metres.

The pistol shooter Friedhelm Sack and swimmer Jörg Lindemeier (both 1992, 1996 and 2000), mountain biker Mannie Heymans (2000, 2004 and 2008), marathon runner Beata Naigambo (2008, 2012 and 2016) and clay target shooter Gaby Ahrens (2008, 2012, 2016) were all three-time Olympians from the Land of the Brave.

The three-Olympics club was joined at the Paris 2024 Games by Vera Looser, whose 68th place in the women’s road cycling race was much more satisfying than the “did not finish” results of 2016 Rio and 2021 Tokyo.

However, up to now Helalia Johannes stands alone as far as her compatriots are concerned. On Sunday, finishing in 2:38:36, she was never able to muster a similar challenge to her previous best results (12th at London 2012 and eleventh at Tokyo 2021), although a world championship bronze, as well as Commonwealth Games gold and bronze speaks volumes of her pedigree.

Helalia also entered the record books with only one other (male) marathon runner that appeared in five Olympic Games, namely Angola’s Joao N’Tyamba (1988-2004). The Namibian overtook Lornah Kiplagat of Kenya (four Olympics from 2004 to 2016) as the women’s runner to make the most appearances.



Seilder ‘emboldened’

On Friday, bad luck struck at a highly inopportune time for Phillip Seidler in his 10 kilometre open water swim competition, when he had to withdraw due an injury picked up during the race.

Aiming to put himself in position for a similar or better challenge than at his respectable Olympic debut (16th at Tokyo 2021), the 26-year-old from Swakopmund unfortunately suffered some shoulder damage in an early crash.

Nevertheless, he stuck to his guns for a remarkable 6 kilometres before finally giving up against the strong currents of the Seine River.

“A true warrior bears his wounds with honor, for it is not the absence of pain that defines him, but his relentless will to fight on, bleeding and battered, until his very last breath,” Seidler wrote in his post-competition debrief.

“(On Friday), the most unexpected challenge arose. Within the first few hundred metres, I collided with a buoy, injuring my shoulder. I tried to stay strong, ignoring the discomfort and pushed, fighting for 6 kilometers until the current overpowered me. I refused to surrender at the start because we, from the Land of the Brave, do not accept defeat. This time, it wasn't enough, and circumstances kept me from finishing the race.

“Yet, despite the outcome, I do not feel defeated, but emboldened by bravery. This has been the most memorable and exhilarating Olympic experience of my life. Stepping into the open water arena, with hundreds of thousands cheering in recognition of the immense challenge a 10-kilometer race entails, filled me with a profound sense of pride. The respect they showed through their understanding of the sport was overwhelming.

“It’s a feeling only a fraction of professional athletes ever experience – the sight of their country’s flag soaring high above, a symbol of the struggle, the spirit, and the strength that define us.

“These are the moments I live for, and they can never be taken away from me.”