1908 Reggie Walker claims South Africas first-ever Olympic medal, winning the 100m crown at the London Games. The 19-year-old from KwaZulu-Natal, who was not initially picked for the South African team, equalled the Olympic record of 10.8 sec, the fraction measured as 4/5 in those days. Walker took an early lead, but was overtaken by American James Rector at halfway. The South African fought back and drew level for six yards, according to the official Olympic report, before shooting ahead to win by three feet. Rector was second and Canadas Robert Kerr, who won the 200m crown, was third.
1952 Sprinter Daphne Hasenjager, the only female of South Africas 1948 Olympic team, takes silver in the womens 100m at the Helsinki Games. Her 11.8 sec was no match for the 11.5 world record Australian Marjorie Jackson pulled off in the final and the semifinals. Two Aussies finished third and fourth, both being credited with a time of 11.9 sec.
1958 Gert Potgieter breaks his own 440-yard world record in Cardiff as he wins the Empire Games gold in 49.7 sec one year after breaking his neck at a club rugby practice. Potgieter, a Pretoria-based detective, played wing and centre for Northern Transvaal. He had suffered three broken vertebrae and national athletics officials had claimed his athletics career was over, though he was back at work in a neck brace within a few days, doing light duties. Potgieters previous world record was 50.7. Converted into metres, his time was considered to be faster than the official 400m world record of 49.5 held by American Glenn Davis.
1996 Swimmer Marianne Kriel wins South Africas second Olympic medal of the Atlanta Games, taking bronze in the womens 100m breaststroke in a 1 min 02.12 sec African record.
2012 Eighteen years after winning his first major title, Ernie Els takes the British Open crown at Royal Lytham St Annes. He hadnt won in two years, and he didnt lead at any point during the Open until he nailed a 15-foot birdie putt on the last hole to edge Australian Adam Scott by one shot. Els shot 32 on the back nine for a final round 68 that gave him overall seven under par 273.
