Donné Breytenbach won bronze in the women's 57kg judo, South Africa's first judo medal of the Games, at the Scottish Event Campus in Glasgow, Scotland on Friday, 31 July 2026. Photo: Charmaine Botes Visser / Team SA

Donné Breytenbach fought three bouts in a single day to claim judo bronze as South Africa’s women closed the ninth day in style at the Scottish Event Campus in Glasgow, Scotland on Friday, 31 July 2026.

The 24-year-old Pretoria judoka opened the women’s 57kg with an ippon over Zambia’s Sylvia Nawila in 35 seconds, was beaten by ippon in her semi-final by India’s Yamini Mourya, then returned to throw Mauritius’ Marie Begue inside 33 seconds for South Africa’s first judo medal of the Games. Her twin brother Thomas takes to the mat on Saturday, when Skye Knoester also opens the women’s 63kg.

At The Hydro, the netballers settled a continental score, avenging their Birmingham classification defeat by beating Uganda 62-54 to finish fifth and reverse the placings of four years ago. 

Coach Jenny van Dyk rested Karla Pretorius, Owethu Ngubane and Tarle Mathe at the start and trailed 17-12 after the first quarter, but Mathe’s introduction at centre for Refiloe Nketsa sparked a 20-11 second quarter for a 32-28 halftime lead that was never surrendered, stretching to 48-41 through three. Elmere van der Berg was near flawless, shooting 48 goals from 49 attempts.

Liezel Gouws capped a consistent T38 long jump final with a season’s best 4.38m for seventh, backed by two efforts of 4.35m, and returns for the T38 200m final on Saturday. S’annara Grove placed 13th in the 10km scratch race final on South Africa’s return to the velodrome, with Australia’s Georgina Baker taking gold, while Bridgit Herselman went down 6-5, 6-3 to Malaysia’s unbeaten Emma Saroji and out of singles medal contention.

Jo-Ané van Dyk headlines the penultimate day, the Olympic silver medallist throwing for a medal in the women’s javelin final in the evening at Scotstoun. Sheryl James and Gouws contest the T38 200m final in the early afternoon.

Knoester’s 63kg campaign runs from midday against Ghana’s Elizabeth Oduro with the medal contests from late afternoon, Grove races the 25km points race final at the velodrome, and Herselman closes her singles campaign against India’s Nayanmoni Saikia in the early evening.


Original Copy: Team SA, with editing by gsport

Main Photo Caption: Donné Breytenbach won bronze in the women’s 57kg judo, South Africa’s first judo medal of the Games, at the Scottish Event Campus in Glasgow, Scotland on Friday, 31 July 2026. Photo: Charmaine Botes Visser / Team SA

Photo 2 Caption: Goal Defence Sanmarie Visser takes to the air in SA’s 62-54 win over Uganda to finish fifth at Glasgow 2026. Photo: Nic Bothma / Team SA

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