Okkert Brits


Okkert Brits is a former South African track and field athlete who specialised in the pole vault. He was the silver medallist at the World Championships in Athletics in 2003. He was a four-time champion at the African Championships in Athletics and twice champion at the All-Africa Games. He was a gold medallist at the 2002 Commonwealth Games and took bronze at the 1995 IAAF World Indoor Championships.
His personal best of 6.03 m, set in 1995, is the African record. This made him the first African in the 6 metres club of vaulters. He competed in the 1996, 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games finishing seventh in 2000. He ranked number one in the world for the 1995 season.
He has been married to Jane Gillespie since 2003; they are the parents of Sarah Jane Brits and David Okkert Brits. In 2009, Brits took part in the 3rd season of Survivor: South Africa, placing eighth.
In January 2003, Brits tested positive for a banned substance ephedrine, which he claimed must have been in the energy supplement he took. For its being his first offence and ephedrine only being a stimulant, he was only given a public warning.

Competition record