Four IS Better Than Three: Athletic South Africa

Team SA Success: Two Gold and Two Silver Medals

There was a significant improvement in South Africa’s Athletics performance at the World Championship in Daegue, South Korea, that ended on Sunday. Team South Africa returned home with four medals, consisting of two bronze and two silver medals. They finished a little disappointing seventeenth place in medals’ table, compared to 9^th place in 2009. This was an eye catching display by the country, and showed some glimpses of hope leading up to the Olympics in London 2012.

In Berlin Team SA success come in a form of two gold and one silver, a total of three medals. That was the only cheers for the country, and an emphatic ninth place in overall standings. So one more medal, means an upwards curve showing for the country. Although a disjointed seventeenth place finish this year, only means there’s still a room for improvement, dropping by eight places from the last Championships. But one more medal can be sacrificed for a higher place in the table.

Semenya: Dedicates her Victory to Nelson Mandela

As some say, sometimes you can try your best but you don’t succeed. While in other times you get what you want not what you need. But that should only give you strength to go on, because you’ll never know what tomorrow will have in store for you. This is how one can describe this incredible performance by our athletics, who took the beloved country’s flag to another level. They defended our Nation with pride and fairness. We won two bronze and two silvers. They achieved this through 400m hurdly LJ van Zyl and javelin thrower Sunette Viljoen. That was not the end of success for our team.

While the country was still celebrating and embracing this success, come two more silver medals courtesy of 4x400m relay team and a steady showing by Caster Simenya on her return, coming up in second place in 800m. Simenya return with a good showing finishing behind Russian, Mariya Savinova. It was an emphatic display by her after seating out nearly an entire year as she was engulfed in a gender controversy. Simenya dedicated her victory to “the father of Nation” Nelson Mandela saying, “I was doing this for him, he is a very good man and gave me good advice, and when I get back home I will go straight to him” 
 

There's a RACE

United Nations finished first with twenty five medals, of which twelve of those were gold medals. Russia finished second with 9 gold and a total of nineteen medals. Highest African country was Kenya- maintaining their third position from Berlin Championships, archiving a total of seventeen medals, including 7 gold. Usain Bolt Jamaica finished fourth and Germany completed the top five. Ethiopia finished ninth Botswana secured thirteen spot and South Africa managed seventeen places, dropping eight places from Berlin Championships.

With London Olympics drawing closer by each passing day, one can only hope that this momentum building will carry on to the Olympics. To all those who put all their effort, in making sure that Athletic South Africa took the Nations flag higher and to another level deserve a round of applause. And to our athletic that sacrificed their time and put in a solid display, words can’t explain our appreciation. The sky is the limit- London Olympics 2012, here we come.

It’s always looks impossible, until it’s done- by Fanele “The Nature Boy”

Mbuyazi, till next time. Will be tracking US Open very closely-to cover it next week!! Keep well.

Story written by Fanele Mbuyazi/ Leave your comments for me below the comment box.

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