South African Olympic medallist Henri Schoeman has finally opened up about the emotional toll of years of online criticism, revealing how attacks linked to one of his biggest career victories eventually extended to his wife and young children.

The celebrated triathlete became the subject of intense public criticism following the 2016 World Triathlon Grand Final in Cozumel, Mexico. During the race, Schoeman overtook Britain's Jonny Brownlee, who was struggling with exhaustion, to cross the finish line first.

The incident attracted international attention after Jonny's brother, Alistair Brownlee, helped him towards the finish line. While many praised the emotional moment between the brothers, some spectators turned against Schoeman for continuing to compete and claiming victory.

For nearly a decade, the South African athlete says he has endured repeated criticism whenever footage of the incident resurfaces on social media.

Speaking to IOL Sport, Schoeman explained that he initially tried to ignore the negative comments by deleting messages and blocking accounts responsible for the abuse.

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