Steyn De Lange｜South Africa’s Monster on the Mats
Introduction:
With the Paris Olympic Games in full swing and wrestling starting soon, I thought it would be fitting to speak about the first South African to participate in the Olympic Games in over 16 years — Nicolaas Johannes Steyn DE LANGE.
Meeting Steyn:
I recently had the opportunity to participate in the 2024 South African Wrestling Championships. While I managed to come away with my own gold medal, I had the great opportunity to shake hands with South Africa’s first Olympic wrestler since Heinrich Barnes, who competed at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
My first thought after meeting Steyn was, “Wow, that’s a big guy.” For reference, I stand at 183 cm (6'0") and walk around at about 95 kg (210 lbs). Steyn absolutely dwarfed me — he was easily half a head taller than I am, and his grip was absolutely crushing.
My second thought was, “This is probably one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met.” He had a huge smile on his face, and throughout the course of the entire tournament, he was so eager to assist anyone in need — a real pleasure to be around and an honor to meet.
My thoughts on the Upcoming Olympic Games:
While I have no idea what the outcome of the 97 kg weight class will be, I’m sure our very own competitor will make us proud. He has the whole country behind him, as well as his lifelong coach — Jan Roets.
Steyn is slated to compete soon, and with his much-improved technique following the 2024 Seniors African and Oceania OG Qualifier, he is going to be a force to be feared on the Olympic mats.
