SA rowing coach Tiago Loureiro confident of Olympic delivery

Expectations are high for Team SA, after their previous successes, including the lightweight four’s gold medal in 2012 and the silver medal by Lawrence Brittain and Shaun Keeling in 2016.

This year, John Smith and Christopher Baxter will compete in the men’s pair, while Paige Badenhorst will make her debut in the women’s sculls, and Loureiro is confident they will withstand the pressure.

"I think in this game, and in professional sport, you have no other choice but to deal with pressure, and all we can do it, like I tell the athletes day-to-day, remain process-driven," said Loureiro.

"That's all we can do, is try our best, give it everything we've got and take it as it comes."

Despite limited resources being South Africa’s rowing’s biggest challenge, Loureiro believes they can exceed expectations in Paris.

"I think it's obvious to say that resources are our biggest challenge, but being supported by RMB helps and keeps the dream alive – it keeps us fighting, and in the game," he added.

"South Africa has always punched well above our weight, so we don't really concentrate on the limited resources or the limited funding, we do what we can and keep striving with that."

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