Women’s javelin in South Africa is soaring to new heights with Jana van Schalkwyk joining Jo-Ane van Dyk as a double act worthy of making waves at the 2028 LA Olympics, writes MARK LEMKE.
Van Dyk has already arrived on the international stage, her silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics being followed by a regular spot on the Diamond League calendar. Still only 27, she will be in her prime in LA in three years time.
Then there’s Van Schalkwyk, herself only 24, but who has made some bold moves of her own in her pursuit of reaching the big league.
Van Schalkwyk admits that she has looks up to Van Dyk, her Team SA colleague. “Jo-Ane is a big inspiration to me. Her silver medal in Paris last year was incredible to watch. My aim is to qualify for LA and compete alongside her and make our country proud,” she said.
Hailing from Melkbosstrand, Cape Town,Van Schalkwyk has relocated to Los Angeles – home of the 2028 Games – to attend UCLA, where she is continuing her studies in digital marketing, as well as training and improving her game.
“There has been a great improvement in my abilities, mainly thanks to the environment I am competing in. I am surrounded by great professionals, both on the field and off, and the facilities I have access to are helping me reach new levels physically.”
Van Schalkwyk is no stranger to competing internationally. She represented Team SA in the 2023 African Games in Ghana, where she took home a silver medal, and at 2022 African Championships she won bronze followed by silver at the 2024 African Championship. She is eager to build on this success and achieve more as she sets her sights on the World Championships in September.
However, there’s much work to be done before she can book her flight to Tokyo. “To qualify for worlds, I need to be in the top 36 in the world. It is calculated as the average of your five best throws from five competitions throughout the year and additional points are given based on the level of competition you compete in. I have a few high ranked competitions coming up which I will be looking to do well in. If I compete at my best, I am confident I will qualify.”
The qualification process adds intense pressure to each competition, given that the athletes are only permitted three throws. Van Schalkwyk has found a way to deal with this pressure through the help of a sports psychologist.
“Working with this psychologist has taught me the power of visualisation. Being able to picture your throw before doing it has a powerful effect on the actual attempt. I am very happy with my mentality during events, and I feel I do a good job of dealing with the pressure.”
The steps that Van Schalkwyk has been putting in are leading to noticeable results. She earned a silver medal at her most recent competition, the Big Ten Conference Championships, which has filled her with confidence in her pursuit of that world championships qualification.
Van Schalkwyk is living on the UCLA campus which will be the Olympic village which she believes gives her an advantage when the time comes. “My goal is to become Olympic champion for South Africa. I dream big but I feel destined to achieve that goal.”
Her next stop along the way is the West Regional Championships. She will next be in South African colours at the World University Games in Germany, scheduled for July. Her journey is one to watch as she flies the South African flag across the world.
