‘Ten years of hate and abuse’ – Schoeman on viral victory over Brownlees

Henri Schoeman says he has faced a decade of abuse over his victory in the 2016 Triathlon World Series Grand Final, a race whose finish became widely shared online. He says repeated posts of the footage have brought blame and attacks directed at him and his family, overshadowing what he regards as one of his biggest career wins.

In Cozumel, Mexico, Schoeman overtook Jonny Brownlee with 700 metres left as Brownlee struggled with exhaustion and dehydration. Jonny’s brother Alistair helped him across the finish line, leaving Jonny second and unable to secure the world title; Schoeman says endurance athletes can falter late in races and that he has no regrets about how he competed. He won Commonwealth Games gold in 2018, came 20th at the 2024 Olympics and was runner-up at the African Championships this month.