Blast from the past: Freitag leaps to gold at Paris world champs

Today in SA sports history: August 25

1962 — Mannetjies Roux scores two tries as the Springboks beat the British Lions 34-14 in the fourth and final Test in Bloemfontein to win the series 3-0. The home side, having won the previous two matches narrowly, ran in six tries to the visitors' three. Legendary centre John Gainsford and his midfield partner Wang Wyness, skipper Johan Claassen and flanker Hugo van Zyl also dotted down. Flyhalf Keith Oxlee converted five and added two penalties.   

1967 — The SA netball team score two late goals in pouring rain to edge England 30-29 in what is effectively the decider for the bronze medal at the netball World Cup in Perth. Playing on an outside court — in those days the sport was called outdoor basketball in Australia — SA were trailing 28-29 in their penultimate match of the round-robin competition. Both sides had already lost to eventual champions New Zealand and runners-up Australia earlier in the competition, and this match determined who ended third. England were on the attack and Marlene Wagner, playing in the centre court for SA, heard an opponent on the sidelines screaming “we’ve got it, we’ve got it”. But one of her teammates intercepted the ball and sparked a counterattack from which SA scored to equalise. And then in the final moments Marina Klüsmann got the chance to shoot for victory. The leather ball was as heavy as lead and slippery as soap, but Klüsmann, standing in a puddle on the edge of the circle, threaded it through the hoop to clinch the victory and ultimately, the bronze. SA smashed Singapore 68-10 in their final match the next day to secure their spot on the podium. Wagner went on to coach SA to the silver medal at the 1995 World Cup.   

1990 — Nika Khumalo is outpointed over 12 rounds by newly-crowned WBO welterweight champion Manning Galloway in Lewiston, Maine.

1994 — Daryll Cullinan top-scores with 45 as SA total 215/7 in 55 overs before losing their opening ODI against England in Birmingham by six wickets with six balls remaining.

2000 — Shaun Pollock takes three wickets as the Proteas beat New Zealand by eight wickets in their second match of a triangular series also featuring Pakistan in Singapore. The Kiwis were bowled out for 188 and SA, with opener Gary Kirsten scoring an unbeaten 75, cruised to the win with 96 balls remaining.

2001 — Rowers Ramon Di Clemente and Donovan Cech win SA’s first-ever world championship medal, taking bronze in the men’s pair in Lucerne.

2001 — The Springboks are beaten 15-26 by New Zealand in August in their final Tri-Nations match. All SA's points came from the boot of flyhalf Braam van Straaten.

2003 — Jacques Freitag wins the men’s high jump at the World Championships in Paris, clearing 2.35m to beat Stefan Holm of Sweden into second place by three centimetres. Injury and ill-discipline scuppered the career of Freitag, who had also won the under-18 and under-20 world titles.

2003 — Jacques Kallis takes 6/54 as the Proteas bowl out England for 209 to win the fourth Test at Leeds by 191 runs. Gary Kirsten had scored 130 to help SA to a first-innings lead of 35. He contributed 60 to the second innings total of 365, with Andrew Hall making an unbeaten 99.

2004 — Sri Lanka take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series as they beat the Proteas by four wickets in the third ODI in Dambulla. Jacques Kallis (52) and Herschelle Gibbs (49) were the mainstay of SA’s knock of 191 all out.

2007 — The Springboks hammer Scotland 27-3 in a World Cup warm-up match at Murrayfield, running three tries without reply. Scrumhalf Fourie du Preez, centre Jaque Fourie and winger Bryan Habana scored for the visitors, with fullback Percy Montgomery converting all three and kicking two penalties.

2007 — Herschelle Gibbs scores 111 and Graeme Smith 99 as the Proteas score 251/2 to demolish Zimbabwe by eight wickets with more than 10 overs remaining in the second ODI in Harare. The victory gave them an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.

 2012 — The Springboks fight back from being down 6-16 to draw 16-16 against Argentina in a Rugby Championship match in Mendoza. It was the first time in 15 outings that SA had failed to beat the South Americans. Frans Steyn, playing at centre, scored the team's only try, with flyhalf Morne Steyn landing the conversion and three penalties.

 2018 — The Springboks are roundly beaten 19-32 by Argentina in a Rugby Championship match in Mendoza. Siya Kolisi scored his first try as Springbok captain, with Lionel Mapoe going over for the team's other two. That was SA's third defeat to Argentina.