Team SA's Big Weekend: Who to Watch at Glasgow 2026 This Saturday and Sunday

The Commonwealth Games have always had a way of bringing out the fight in Mzansi. Since our return to the Games in 1994, South Africa has climbed to 6th on the all-time medal table -  416 medals, 137 of them gold - and this weekend in Glasgow, Team SA gets another shot at adding to that legacy.

The squad heading into this weekend's action carries the kind of pedigree that makes the first Saturday-Sunday stretch of any major Games appointment viewing. Here's who's carrying the green and gold into the business end of the week.

One of the standout narratives heading into the weekend isn't about who's chasing gold - it's about who's choosing not to.

Akani Simbine, a two-time Commonwealth 100m medallist (including gold at Gold Coast 2018) and Team SA's third-oldest athlete on the Athletics & Para Athletics squad, has opted out of the individual 100m at Glasgow 2026 to focus solely on the relay. Speaking to Olympics.com, Simbine explained the decision:

There's a lot of the younger guys that, for them to actually compete at this level, it'll mean a lot for them... It's important because they get the opportunity to run at a stage like this.

It's a selfless call from a veteran who's already done the individual sprint twice at this level — and it hands a new generation of SA sprinters their moment in an individual event, while Simbine still lines up as the man to lead the men's 4x100m relay charge.

Athletics (Track & Field)

• Men's 4x100m Relay & Sprints — With Simbine spearheading the relay squad, SA's sprint group remains a genuine medal threat on a championship's closing Saturdays.

• Women's Javelin — Jo-Ane van Dyk has established herself as an elite podium contender on the global stage, and her throwing form makes her one of SA's stronger individual medal hopes this weekend.

• High Jump & Middle Distance — Athletes like Brian Raats and Prudence Sekgodiso are regular fixtures in major finals and worth keeping an eye on across the weekend's track and field sessions.

Swimming

• Pool finals traditionally dominate the first Saturday/Sunday stretch of a major Games, and Team SA has serious pedigree in the water — led by champions of Tatjana Smith's calibre in the breaststroke and medley events, South Africa will be targeting the podium again this weekend.

Cross-Country Mountain Biking (MTB)

• Men's Cycling — Alan Hatherly has already shown he can mix it with the world's best off-road, and men's MTB is shaping up as one of SA's prime medal targets this Saturday.

With the Games running 23 July – 2 August, this weekend sits right in the business end of the competition — the stretch where campaigns are won or lost and where South Africa has historically delivered its biggest moments, from Chad le Clos and Natalie du Toit's pool dominance to Simbine's own sprinting legacy. Watching a new generation step into that spotlight, backed by a squad with genuine podium depth across sports, is exactly the kind of weekend Team SA fans live for.

Whether it's the men's relay squad, van Dyk in the javelin circle, or Hatherly out on the MTB course, South Africa's medal hopes are spread across a packed Saturday and Sunday. Get behind Team SA before the action gets underway!