Hestrie Cloete, world champion high jumper, is born

Date: 26 Aug 1978
Updated: 30 Sep 2019

Hestrie Cloete, world champion high jumper, is born

Hestrie Cloete was born in Germiston, East of Johannesburg on 26 August 1978. She began participating in sports at an early age. Her long-time coach, Martin Marx, discovered her at the age of 13. Hestrie proved to be a top athlete when she won a gold medal at the world championships in Paris in 2003. The following year she won two silver medals at the Olympic Games. Cloete was famous for her mental focus ritual of spinning her index fingers around each other and leaning sideways before every jump. After the 2004 Olympics, Cloete retired from professional sports. She married Afrikaans singer, Jurie Els and in 2007 they moved to New Zealand.

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01The Presidency Hestrie Cloete (1978– ) [online] Available at: www.thepresidency.gov.za [Accessed on 20 August 2012]
02Gordon E. Cloete gives South Africa Gold from Edmonton 2001 [online] Available at: https://www2.iaaf.org [Accessed on 20 August 2012]

Last updated · 30 Sep 2019

Cite this entry

South African History Online. (2012, August 23). Hestrie Cloete, world champion high jumper, is born . South African History Online. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0091762

South African History Online (2012) 'Hestrie Cloete, world champion high jumper, is born ', South African History Online, 23 August. Available at: https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0091762 (Accessed: 23 July 2026).

South African History Online, Hestrie Cloete, world champion high jumper, is born [website], https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0091762, (accessed 23 July 2026).

"Hestrie Cloete, world champion high jumper, is born ." South African History Online, 23 Aug. 2012, https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0091762. Accessed 23 July 2026.

South African History Online. "Hestrie Cloete, world champion high jumper, is born ." South African History Online. August 23, 2012. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0091762.