“I think for me the 2016 Olympic medal, I realised two or three years afterwards to be an Olympic medallist is really special,” said Snyman.
Specman is the 10th South African to have won medals from two Games, a feat that swimmer Tatjana Smith is also likely to match.
The only other South African to have won medals eight years apart was tennis player Charles Winslow, who took golds at Stockholm 1912 and a bronze at Antwerp 1920.
Henri Schoeman, Chad Le Clos and Wayde van Niekerk are eligible to join Specman and Winslow should they make a podium in France. Rower John Smith, however, will set a record of 12 years if he bags a medal.
South Africans to have won medals at two Olympics is:
Rosko Specman: rugby sevens bronze at Rio 2016 & Paris 2024
Caster Semenya: 800m gold at London 2012 & Rio 2016
Chad Le Clos: 200m butterfly gold and 100m butterfly silver at London 2012 & 200m freestyle and 100m butterfly silver at Rio 2016
Cameron van der Burgh: 100m breaststroke gold at London 2012 & silver at Rio 2016
Hestrie Cloete: High jump silver at Sydney 2000 & Athens 2004
Penny Heyns: 100m and 200m breaststroke gold at Atlanta 1996 & 100m breaststroke bronze at Sydney 2000
Danie Bekker: heavyweight boxing bronze at Melbourne 1956 & silver at Rome 1960
Alfred Swift: 4,000m team pursuit silver at Helsinki 1952 & 1km time trial bronze at Melbourne 1956
Sydney Atkinson: 110m hurdles silver at Paris 1924 & gold at Amsterdam 1928
Charles Winslow: men’s singles and doubles gold at Stockholm 1912 & men’s singles bronze at Antwerp 1920
South Africans to have won multiple medals:
4 — Chad Le Clos
3 — Roland Schoeman (swimming — 2004); Penny Heyns (swimming — 1996 & 2000); Bevil Rudd (athletics — 1920); Charles Winslow (tennis — 1912 & 1920)
2 — Rosko Specman (rugby sevens — 2016 & 2024); Tatjana Smith (swimming — 2021); Caster Semenya (athletics — 2012 & 2016); Cameron van der Burgh (swimming — 2012 & 2016); Hestrie Cloete (athletics — 2000 & 2004); Penny Heyns (swimming — 1996 & 2000); Danie Bekker (boxing — 1956 & 1960); Alfred Swift (cycling — 1952 & 1956); Thomas Shardelow (cycling — 1952); Raymond Robinson (cycling — 1952); Sydney Atkinston (athletics — 1924 & 1928); Henry Kaltenbrunn (cycling — 1920); William Smith (cycling — 1920); James Walker (cycling — 1920); Charles Winslow (tennis — 1912 & 1920); Harold Kitson (tennis — 1912)