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8 South African Olympians Who Are Active On Social Media

8 South African Olympians Who Are Active On Social Media

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An increasing number of sports personalities across the globe are active on social media in order to connect with their fans and sporting peers.

Olympians are no different, and with the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio only a matter of days away, following the social media accounts of these individuals makes for interesting reading and viewing.

It also gives fans a means of accessing their heroes, with many Olympic athletes in Team South Africa keen to engage with fans and interact with the people who support their sporting dreams.

We take a look at 8 of the South African Olympians who are active on social media.

Source: Twitter, Instagram.

African Swimmers - Swimmer Chad Le Clos
Swimmer Chad Le Clos is popular on Twitter – timeslive.co.za

Chad Le Clos – @chadleclos

With over 185,000 followers on Twitter, swimmer Chad Le Clos is the golden boy of South African swimming, and has the throngs of online fans to prove it. He will be going for gold at Rio 2016, and will no doubt be active on social media during the Olympics.

Sprinter Wayde van Niekerk
Sprinter Wayde van Niekerk is on Twitter – timeslive.co.za

Wayde van Niekerk – @WaydeDreamer

Known for his humility and willingness to interact with fans, the 400m men’s champion is very active on Twitter. With over 11,000 fans monitoring his every tweet, the gold medal hopeful is popular on social media, and that number is set to explode during the Olympics.

Akani Simbine in action
Akani Simbine tweets often – timeslive.co.za

Akani Simbine – @AkaniSimbine

The 100m South African record holder is fast on the track, but takes his time on social media, retweeting media and fans while gaining followers on his official Twitter handle. The 22-year-old will be racing against the likes of Usain Bolt in Brazil.

Wenda Nel
SA athlete Wenda Nel enjoys Twitter – allathletics.co.za

Wenda Nel – @Wenda400mh

Another Twitter lover, women’s 400m hurdles specialist Wenda Nel enjoys connecting with her fans and fellow athletes on the social media platform. She is very popular amongst her peers, and enjoys engaging online with other South African athletes.

Olympic Football - Captain Van Wyk
Janine Van Wyk will lead Banyana in Rio – zimbio.com

Janine van Wyk – @Janinevanwyk5

While her Twitter account is not yet verified, Banyana captain Janine Van Wyk engages with fans on the platform on a consistent basis. The women’s soccer team captain is popular, boasting over 5,000 followers on Twitter, and she is excited about the upcoming Olympic Games.

South African Medallists - South African swimmer Cameron van der Burgh
SA swimmer Cameron van der Burgh – thomsonreuters.com

Cameron van der Burgh – @Cameronvdburgh

Swimmer Cameron van der Burgh is a popular figure on social media, with just under 75,000 followers on Twitter, and a fan base on Snap Chat. He is aiming for a medal in the pool during August at the Olympics in Rio.

SA long distance runner Dominique Scott
SA long distance runner Dominique Scott – back-track.co.za

Dominique Scott – @domscottrunsa

The 23-year-old South African long distance athlete will likely be a contender for the 5,000m and 10,000m events at Rio 2016. She has over over 7,400 followers on Instagram, and that number will no doubt soar during the Olympics if she does well for Team SA.

Werner Kok of the Blitzbok
Werner Kok of the Blitzboks – sarugbymag.co.za

Werner Kok – @wernerkok1

One of the stars of the South African Sevens Rugby team that is in with a chance of earning a medal at the Olympics, Werner Kok is a popular figure in the Blitzbok setup, with 4,000 plus twitter followers checking out the daily posts that emerge on his twitter feed.