Tragic Loss: The South African High Jump Champion Who Struggled with Addiction Found Dead

South African police have discovered the body of former high jump world champion Jacques Freitag, who went missing last month. The 42-year-old athlete, who won the 2003 world title in Paris and competed in the 2004 Olympics, was found shot. His family has chosen not to comment on the situation.

Hendrick Mokganyetsi, the chairperson of Athletics South Africa Commission, shared memories of Freitag’s success in the sport. Mokganyetsi recalled Freitag setting a national record by jumping 2.38 meters in March 2005. He also mentioned Freitag’s achievements at the world junior championships in 2000 and the world championships in Paris in 2003, where Freitag became the first South African to win a gold medal in high jump. Freitag’s accomplishments earned him a place among a small number of athletes who have won world titles at the youth, junior, and senior levels.

Freitag’s sister, Chrissie Lewis, had reached out for assistance on social media after he disappeared in the early hours of June 17 following a visit to his mother’s home. She noted that he had been battling drug addiction since retiring from his athletic career. Authorities located the body in a field near a cemetery in Pretoria, though it has not been officially identified by family members yet.