Henri Schoeman, who won a viral 2016 Triathlon World Series Grand Final in which Jonny Brownlee was helped over the line by his brother Alistair, says he has received a decade of abuse since the race.
South African Schoeman, then 25, was vying for the lead with Jonny Brownlee on the final run leg and overtook the dehydrated and exhausted Briton with 700m to go in Cozumel, Mexico.
With the help of third-placed Alistair, Brownlee finished second, short of the victory which would have secured him the world title in the overall standings.
“It was one of the biggest wins in my career, but for the last 10 years it has been overshadowed by something I have never publicly spoken about,” Schoeman wrote on Instagram., external
“Every time this video goes viral I receive messages and comments blaming me for what happened, attacking me and sometimes even attacking my family.”
Schoeman said he came into the race determined to prove a point after some had questioned whether his Olympic bronze in 2016 – behind the Brownlees – was a one-off.
He said long-distance racing has featured many examples of athletes misjudging their pace or fuelling strategy and ‘hitting the wall’ close to the finish line.
He cited Norwegian Solveig Lovseth, whose Ironman world title defence this month ended when she collapsed in the final mile, external when leading the race.
“Athletes lead for hours only to collapse in the final stages,” Schoeman said. “That is the brutal reality of endurance sport.
“The finish line is where winners are made and in Cozumel I crossed that finish line first.
“What people don’t see is the impact of the last 10 years of hate and abuse have had on me and my family.
“I know what happened that day and what it took to win and I have absolutely no regrets on how I raced.
“It was one of my biggest victories and, after 10 years, I am finally ready to be proud of it again.”
Schoeman, who won Commonwealth Games gold in 2018, finished 20th at the 2024 Olympics and second in the African Championships this month.
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