Blast from the past: Scheckter powers his way to F1 world title

Today in SA sports history: September 9

1979 — Jody Scheckter wins the Italian Grand Prix at Monza to secure Formula One’s World Championship with two races to go. He edged his teammate Gilles Villeneuve of Canada, by less than half-a-second, giving Ferrari the constructors’ championship. Scheckter started on the second row with Frenchman Jean-Pierre Jabouille of Renault in pole position. René Arnoux was in the lead early on, but when his Renault suffered engine trouble, the South African took the lead and never relinquished it. The win was Scheckter’s third of the season and 10th of his career. It was also his final win, retiring a year later. Villeneuve ended the 1979 season second overall, the best result of his career. He was 32 when he died in a crash during qualifying at the 1982 Belgian Grand Prix.

1989 — Simon Skhosana loses his second bid for a world title, putting up a lacklustre performance as he loses on points against WBO junior-featherweight champion Kenny Mitchell in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

2006 — Scrumhalf Fourie du Preez and replacement wing Breyton Paulse score tries as the Springboks beat Australia 24-16 in a Tri-Nations contest at Ellis Park.

2007 — Winger Bryan Habana scores four tries as the Springboks trounce Samoa 59-7 in their opening match of the World Cup at Parc des Princes. Samoa scored the first try of the match, but the South Africans hit back with eight of their own. Percy Montgomery went over for two of them and kicked five conversions and three penalties.

2007 — Nicola Mocke and Michele Eray win the women’s K2 marathon bronze at the ICF Canoe World Championships in Györ, Hungary. They finished the 27.63km course in 1hr 44 min 48.418 sec behind Denmark’s Anna Lolk and Henriette Hansen (1:44:36.262) and Hungarians Renata Csay and Berenike Faldum (1:44:47.182).

2017 — Hank McGregor and Andy Birkett claim their second consecutive one-two finish in the K1 marathon at the ICF Canoe World Championships on home soil in Pietermaritzburg. McGregor completed the 29.8km course in 2hr 09 min 37.91 sec, less than a second in front of Birkett (2:09:38.83). It was his fifth consecutive victory in this event, and his seventh overall.

2017 — Centre Jesse Kriel and hooker Malcolm Marx score tries as the Springboks draw 23-23 with Australia in a Rugby Championship match in Perth. 

2018 — Andy Birkett and Hank McGregor win the men’s K2 marathon title at the ICF Canoe World Championships in Prada Vila Verde, Portugal. It was McGregor’s fourth K2 victory in five years.