Henricho Bruintjies

{{Infobox sportsperson

| image = Henricho Bruintjies Rio 2016b.jpg

| image_size =

| caption = Bruintjies at the 2016 Olympics

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1993|07|16}}

| birth_place = Paarl, South Africa

| height = {{height|m=1.79}}

| weight = {{cvt|72|kg|lb stlb}}

| country = {{ZAF}}

| sport =

| event = 100 metres
200 metres

| club =

| collegeteam =

| coach = Morne Nagel

| highestranking =

| pb = 100 m: 9.97 (2015)
200 m: 20.62 (2015)

| updated =

| medaltemplates = {{MedalSport | Men's Athletics}}

{{MedalCountry | {{RSA}} }}

}}

Henricho Bruintjies (born 16 July 1993) is a South African sprinter. He broke the 10-second barrier with a run of 9.97 seconds in 2015. He has represented his country at the Summer Olympics, World Championships and Commonwealth Games. He is a silver medalist in the 100 metres in the 2018 Commonwealth Games

Career

Bruintjies took up athletics as a grade 1 schoolboy. In 2013, he was the South African under-23 champion in the 100 metres, defeating Akani Simbine in 10.44; at the national senior championships, he placed second behind Simon Magakwe in 10.58.{{cite web |url=http://www.netwerk24.com/sport/2015-06-14-bruintjies-pure-goud |title=Bruintjies pure goud |language=Afrikaans |author=Johan van Wyk |date=14 June 2015 |accessdate=12 August 2015 |publisher=netwerk24.com}} He represented South Africa at the 2013 Summer Universiade in the 4 × 100 metres relay; the South African team placed seventh.{{tilastopaja|id=139896}} In 2014, Bruintjies improved his personal best to 10.17{{athAbbr|A}} (+1.8 m/s) and ran the opening leg for South Africa's relay team at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow; South Africa placed fourth in a national record 38.35. Bruintjies also competed in the 2014 African Championships, taking part in both the individual 100 metres and the 4 × 100 metres relay; in the individual event, he was eliminated in the semi-finals, while the South African relay team was disqualified in the heats.

2015 was Bruintjies's breakthrough year.{{cite web |url=http://www.supersport.com/athletics/sa-track-and-field/news/150709/Bruintjies_focused_on_his_own_journey |publisher=SuperSport |author=Nazli Hamilton |date=9 July 2015 |accessdate=12 August 2015 |title=Bruintjies focused on his own journey}} On 8 June, he won the 100 m ahead of fellow South African Anaso Jobodwana at the Josef Odložil Memorial in Prague, running 10.06 (+1.5 m/s); the time was his personal best and a South African sea-level record.{{cite web |url=http://www.sport24.co.za/OtherSport/Athletics/South-Africa/Bruintjies-happy-to-make-parents-proud-20150710 |title=Bruintjies happy to make parents proud |date=10 July 2015 |author=Ockert de Villiers |accessdate=12 August 2015 |publisher=sport24.co.za}} A month later, he ran 9.97 (+0.8 m/s) at near-altitude in La Chaux-de-Fonds, breaking Magakwe's South African record of 9.98; he was the third South African (after Magakwe and Simbine) to break 10 seconds in the 100 metres. Simbine equalled Bruintjies's record at the Universiade only four days later.

Bruintjies was selected for the 2015 World Championships in Beijing.{{cite web |url=http://www.sport24.co.za/OtherSport/Athletics/South-Africa/Caster-confirmed-in-Team-SA-squad-20150811 |title=Caster confirmed in Team SA squad |author=Ockert de Villiers |date=11 August 2015 |accessdate=12 August 2015 |publisher=sport24.co.za}}

Bruintjies competed in the 100 m event at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. He finished 6th in his heat with a time of 10.33 seconds and did not advance to the semifinals.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rio2016.com/en/athletics-standings-at-mens-100m |title=Rio 2016 |website=Rio 2016 |access-date=2016-08-28 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160826084527/https://www.rio2016.com/en/athletics-standings-at-mens-100m |archivedate=2016-08-26 }}