SA ski champ Sive's big blow

AN EASTERN Cape skier does not know whether he wants to continue with the sport after South African officials refused to send him to the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

Sive Speelman, of Barkly East, was the only South African to qualify to represent the country at the games next month. But the 18-year-old will not compete because the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) believes he does not have what it takes to bring back a medal.

It has been a hard blow for the Barkly East High School Grade 11 pupil, who had to repeat Grade 10 last year after dedicating lots of time to practising for the games.