Okkert Brits

Okkert Brits

Medal record
Men's Athletics
Competitor for  South Africa
World Championships
	2003 Paris	Pole vault
World Indoor Championships
	1995 Barcelona	Pole vault
Commonwealth Games
	2002 Manchester	Pole vault
All-Africa Games
	1995 Harare	Pole vault
	1999 Johannesburg	Pole vault
African Championships
	1992 Belle-Vue	Pole Vault
	1993 Durban	Pole Vault
	1998 Dakar	Pole Vault
	2006 Bambous	Pole Vault

Okkert Brits (born 22 August 1973 in Uitenhage) is a former South African athlete who specialized in the pole vault.

Biography

His personal best of 6.03m, set in 1995, is also the African record. He won numerous medals at international events. He competed in the 1996, 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games finishing 7th in 2000. Married to Jane Gillespie in 2003 and father of Sarah Jane Brits, born in 2005 and David Okkert Brits born in 2006. In 2009, Okkert Brits took part in the 3rd season of Survivor: South Africa.

Competition record

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Notes
Representing  South Africa
1992	African Championships	Belle Vue Mauricia, Mauritius	1st	5.35 m
	World Junior Championships	Seoul, South Korea	3rd	5.40 m
1993	African Championships	Dakar, Senegal	1st	5.40 m
	World Championships	Stuttgart, Germany	15th (q)	5.65 m
1994	Commonwealth Games	Victoria, Canada	–	NM
1995	World Indoor Championships	Barcelona, Spain	3rd	5.75 m
	World Championships	Gothenburg, Sweden	4th	5.80 m
	All-Africa Games	Harare, Zimbabwe	1st	5.50 m
1996	Olympic Games	Atlanta, United States	–	NM
1997	World Indoor Championships	Paris, France	6th	5.65 m
	World Championships	Athens, Greece	–	NM
1998	African Championships	Dakar, Senegal	1st	5.40 m
1999	World Championships	Seville, Spain	10th	5.50 m
	All-Africa Games	Johannesburg, South Africa	1st	5.40 m
2000	Olympic Games	Sydney, Australia	7th	5.80 m
2001	World Indoor Championships	Lisbon, Portugal	7th	5.60 m
2002	Commonwealth Games	Manchester, United Kingdom	1st	5.75 m
2003	World Indoor Championships	Birmingham, United Kingdom	–	NM
	World Championships	Paris, France	2nd	5.85 m
2004	World Indoor Championships	Budapest, Hungary	9th (q)	5.70 m
	Olympic Games	Athens, Greece	19th (q)	5.60 m
2006	African Championships	Bambous, Mauritius	1st	5.20 m

Doping controversy

In January 2003, Brits tested positive for a banned substance ephedrine, which he claimed must have been in the energy supplement he took. For it being his first offense and ephedrine only being a stimulant, he was only given a public warning.^[1][2]

See also

• 6 metres club
• List of champions of Africa of athletics
• List of sportspeople sanctioned for doping offences

World number 1 Pole vaulter 2003

References

1. "Okkert: Innocent or just ignorant?". iol.co.za. 15 February 2003. Retrieved 2012-08-28.
2. "The bitter taste of victory". iol.co.za. 26 June 2012. Retrieved 2012-08-28.

External links

• Okkert Brits profile at IAAF