SA rope jumper Sonopo Johannes skips away with 3 silver medals at World Champs

JOHANNESBURG – South Africa’s rope jumping ace, Sonopo Tshilwane Johannes, claimed three silver medals on Tuesday at the 2023 World Jump Rope Championships in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

“These medals represent victory in my individual events where I was competing under four categories which are 30 seconds speed sprint, 3 minutes speed endurance, triple unders and freestyle age group 30+, where I won under 3 minutes 3 seconds and freestyle. On triples, I won position 4,” Johannes told Eyewitness News.

Team South Africa made up of rope skippers Kagiso Pholoholo, Thato Mabitso, Tshilwane Sonopo, Mkhululi Gosa, Tshiamo Matlhoane, Diteko Matlape, Malusi Tumtumana, Buyisile Hubela and Mpho Seate (Coach) are competing at the 2023 World Jump Rope Championships 16-23 July.

“SA Jumping is growing by the day to reach the international standard, if I am able to get a silver medal at this level, it means that we are really not far from what other countries are doing. The fun part about rope skipping, especially freestyle, is that music is involved so it’s easy to use our genre to choreograph our freestyles in such a way that they also represent our culture through music choice,” said the athlete.

The event has over 1,200 athletes representing 27 countries, is one of the most accessible, diverse and economical sports that one can participate in.

“Speed sprint requires more cardio training because we jump rope very fast in a manner that you will hardly see the rotation. Freestyle entails more power training because it is too technical and it involves gymnastics skills, rope manipulation and hard work,” explained Johannes.

The International Jump Rope Union (IJRU) holds its World Championships biannually, featuring the top jump rope athletes in single rope and double Dutch disciplines across the globe.

“I would like to see more women involved at masters level, especially in South Africa because I have noticed that the majority of jumpers are male jumpers at higher levels,” said the athlete on representation.

These athletes compete in a preliminary round to secure a spot in the finals, and ultimately, compete for the title of world champion.

Johannes told Eyewitness News that as much as rope skipping emphasises your physical strength in order for one to perform at their highest level, he said mental health was what gave the edge to push just a little further than your opponent.

“Mental preparation is also important, so I can feel confident after every mistake I make during practice and come back stronger. It helps me focus on myself and the goals that I want to achieve and to be able to do my routines repeatedly even when I feel nervous. I also remind myself to focus on the present moment and enjoy it.”

The jumper took up the sport in 2009 while in high school during a life orientation class. He has been competing for 15 years, with this being his fifth world championship. He won bronze at the 2016 Championships in Sweden in the triple under category, and bronze in the speed relay category at the 2019 China Open Tournament.

“I think we need to focus more on development and workshops. Fortunately, jump rope is part of the curriculum in South Africa under National School Sport Championships but the main focus should be on masters level, where jumpers are able to qualify for World Championships. IJRU has recently received recognition from the Olympics Board and my wish is to see jump rope at the Olympics soon,” said the athlete.

FILE: SA’s Tshilwane Sonopo at the 2023 International Jump Rope Union World Championships in Colorado, USA on Tuesday 18 July 2023. Picture: Gymnastics South Africa/ Facebook.

THE SPORT OF JUMP ROPE IS FEATURED EVENTS INCLUDE:

• Double Dutch Contest – urban culture fuses with acrobatics, dance and music.
• Single Rope and Double Dutch Speed – the fastest jumpers alive.
• Single Rope and Double Dutch Freestyle – acrobatics with unlimited skill combinations and endurance.