Buzzapp Master Jo-Ane van Dyk delivered a surprise Olympic medal at Stade de France on Saturday night, taking the women’s javelin silver in a session the more fancied rivals failed to hit their straps.
Potchefstroom-based Van Dyk, a qualified dietician and an under-20 world championship runner-up in 2016, threw 63.93m on her third attempt to leapfrog into second place — and she was never dislodged.
Haruka Kitaguchi of Japan won gold on 65.8,0 with Nikola Ogrodnikova of Czechia, a previous European championship silver medallist, taking bronze with 63.68m, the shortest distance to win an Olympic bronze since 1972.
Van Dyk threw a 64.22m lifetime best in the qualifying round to book her spot in the final, where she flourished like the sunflower tattooed on her ribcage.
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