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Dazzling rainbow

By Patrick Whiteley (China Daily)
Updated: 2007-02-16 15:42

In the years leading up to the 1992 Barcelona Games, apartheid was abolished in South Africa paving the way for Olympic participation for the first time since 1960. It was a proud moment for a sports-mad nation and there was one particular event, which delighted the world.

South African 4x100 freestyle relay team celebrates after taking the gold at Athens Games.[AP]

In the 10,000m women's final, Elana Meyer of South Africa pulled away from the field after 6,000 meters and only Derartu Tulu from Ethiopia was able to keep up. On the last lap, Tulu raced away and went on to win by 30 metres. However, the first black African woman to earn an Olympic medal did not embark on her well-earned lap of honor. She waited for Meyer at the finish line, and embraced the white South African woman before running hand in hand with her on a victory lap. It was yet another Olympic moment, which transcended sport and symbolized hope for a new Africa.

South African Olympians have always impressed at the three Games since Barcelona and will no doubt do so at the Beijing Games.

In 1996, marathon runner Josia Thugwane won gold; in 2000, high jumper Hestrie Clote soared to new heights; and in 2004, Penny Heyns was the golden girl in the pool.

At the last Olympics, South Africans shined in the pool and the men's 4x100m freestyle swimming team upset favorites Australia and the US by securing gold.

Before 1960, South Africa was strong at boxing winning 6 gold, 4 silver and 9 bronze and also tennis, running and swimming. In 1908, Reggie Walker won the 100m in 10.8 seconds and Charles Hefferon won the silver in the marathon. In the 1912 Stockholm Games, it was a one-two finish in the marathon with Kenneth Mcarthur taking gold and Christian Gitsham taking silver.

As the South African team prepares for Beijing, a number of athletes are in contention for medals.

World No 1 800m runner Mbulaeni Mulaudzi, swimming sensation Roland Schoeman, 400m hurdles star LJ van Zyl and welterweight boxer Bongani Mwelase will be all eyeing gold medals.

Even Donovan Cech and Ramon Di Clemente who won South Africa's first rowing Olympic medal in Athens taking third in the 2,000m pairs could upset their rowing rivals.

One of the red-hot gold medal favorites is Schoeman who set the 50m freestyle world record (20.98 seconds) in Germany last year the first man to break the 21-second barrier. This was Schoeman's eighth world record of his career. Schoeman captured his third medal of the Games, bronze in the 50m freestyle, making him one of the most successful South Africans in Olympic history.

The third place finish means Schoeman collected a medal of each color at Athens 2004 - he also took gold in the 4x100 freestyle relay and silver for the 100-meter freestyle.

Only Penny Heyns (two swimming golds in 1996 and a bronze in 2000) and Charles Winslow (two tennis golds in 1912 and a bronze in 1920) had managed to win three Olympic medals for South Africa. Schoeman joins that list as the first to achieve the feat at one Olympic Games.

LJ van Zyl won the 400m hurdles in a personal best time of 48.05 seconds at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia in March last year.

The Commonwealth Games was good chance for Team SA to compete internationally and the squad finished their campaign with 38 medals (12 gold, 13 silver and 13 bronze) an increase of three gold medals compared to the 2002 Manchester Games, England.