South African triathlete Henri Schoeman says he endured 10 years of cyberbullying — Daily Maverick

South African triathlete Henri Schoeman said he had endured insults and harassment online for ten years following the World Triathlon Series final in September 2016 in Cozumel, Mexico. As Daily Maverick reports, the athlete recently published a video about his experience and received significant support.

During that race, Briton Jonny Brownlee, who was leading, became exhausted less than a kilometre from the finish. He was helped by his brother Alistair Brownlee, who brought him to the finish line. Schoeman moved ahead and won, Jonny Brownlee took silver, and Alistair Brownlee won bronze. According to the athlete, every new appearance of the finish video on social media triggered a new wave of attacks.

Threats to his family

The 35-year-old Schoeman said that abusive comments affected his confidence. The situation became especially difficult after, according to him, users began attacking and threatening his wife, Frensel, and their children — a four-and-a-half-year-old daughter and a two-year-old son.

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The triathlete stressed that he maintains good relations with the Brownlee brothers, including Jonny. According to him, after the competition Jonny Brownlee wrote to him that he had done the right thing, as it was sporting competition.

Olympic plans

Schoeman, who won bronze at the 2016 Olympics and gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, plans to compete for a place at his fourth Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028. He recently won a silver medal at the African Championships. To improve his ranking and qualify for the Games, the athlete needs to compete in as many events as possible over the next two years.