Chris Harmse

South African hammer giant. African hammer throw record holder.

Never competed at the Olympics but he contested at the African Championships 10 times - an all-time record, between 1998 and 2018. Won a medal nine out of his 10 appearances at the African Champs and his only contest that missed the podium was his farewell edition, in 2018, as finishing fourth.

Harmse secured three African Games title and two silver - one of the few athletes who made five consecutive African Games podium. He also attended five World Championships but did not qualified for the final.

His 23 consecutive hammer throw national title (1996-2018) is one of the longest winning streak ever in any competition series in modern athletics. Harmse's 80.63m throw in 2005 South African Championships was stood as an African record for nine years.