Schoeman says he has endured a decade of abuse since 2016 Cozumel win over Brownlee

Henri Schoeman said on Instagram he has received 10 years of hate and abuse since his victory over Jonny Brownlee at the 2016 Triathlon World Series Grand Final in Cozumel, Mexico. The race became a viral moment after a dramatic finish that was widely shared online.

Schoeman, then 25, overtook a dehydrated and exhausted Jonny Brownlee with 700m to go in Cozumel. Third-placed Alistair Brownlee helped his brother over the line, allowing Jonny to finish second. That second place fell short of the victory that would have secured Jonny Brownlee the world title in the overall standings.

"It was one of the biggest wins in my career, but for the last 10 years it has been overshadowed by something I have never publicly spoken about," Schoeman wrote on Instagram. "Every time this video goes viral I receive messages and comments blaming me for what happened, attacking me and sometimes even attacking my family."

Schoeman said he had gone into the race determined to prove a point after some had questioned whether his Olympic bronze in 2016 - behind the Brownlees - was a one-off. He argued long-distance racing regularly produces examples of athletes misjudging pace or fuelling strategy and 'hitting the wall' near the finish. He cited Norwegian Solveig Lovseth, whose Ironman world title defence this month ended when she collapsed in the final mile when leading the race.

"Athletes lead for hours only to collapse in the final stages," Schoeman said. "That is the brutal reality of endurance sport. The finish line is where winners are made and in Cozumel I crossed that finish line first. What people don't see is the impact of the last 10 years of hate and abuse have had on me and my family. I know what happened that day and what it took to win and I have absolutely no regrets on how I raced. "It was one of my biggest victories and, after 10 years, I am finally ready to be proud of it again."

Schoeman won Commonwealth Games gold in 2018. He finished 20th at the 2024 Olympics and was second in the African Championships this month.