Blast from the past: Parkin torpedoes his way to SA Olympic history

Today in SA sports history: September 20

1924 — Wing Kenny Starke scores two tries as the Springboks beat Great Britain 16-9 in the final fourth Test at Newlands to take the series 3-0.

1969 — Centre Eben Olivier scores two tries as the Springboks beat Australia 19-8 in the final fourth Test in Bloemfontein to round off a 4-0 series triumph. Olivier’s midfield partner, Mannetjies Roux, scored SA’s third try. Flyhalf Piet Visagie kicked two conversions and two penalties.

2000 — Deaf swimmer Terence Parkin becomes the first South African man to win an Olympic medal in the pool as he takes silver in the 200m breaststroke at the Sydney Games. Zimbabwe-born Parkin staged a dramatic fightback in the second half of the race, powering up the field after lying seventh at the halfway mark. At that stage, no fewer than 12 SA women had won Olympic swimming medals in individual and relay races. Parkin ushered in a successful era of millennium men for SA, being followed to the podium by the likes of Roland Schoeman and Ryk Neethling in 2004, and Cameron van der Burgh and Chad le Clos in 2012. Parkin happens to share the same birthday, April 12, as Le Clos, and both trained under coach Graham Hill in Pinetown, outside Durban, and both won their first Olympic medals at the age of 20.

2002 — Herschelle Gibbs scores 116 as the Proteas sweep aside Kenya by 176 runs in an ICC Champions Trophy ODI in Colombo. SA totalled 316/5 and then dismissed their opponents for 140, Justin Ontong and Dale Benkenstein taking three wickets apiece.

2006 — Mark Boucher hammers 147 off 68 deliveries to lift the Proteas to 418/5 in the final third ODI against Zimbabwe in Potchefstroom. SA restricted the visitors to 247/4 to win by 171 runs and take the series 3-0.

2007 — The Proteas are eliminated from the World T20 tournament, crashing to a 37-run defeat against India in their final group match in Durban. Only Mark Boucher and Albie Morkel made double figures as SA chased 154 for victory, each making 36.

2008 — Anthony Stott takes the K1 marathon bronze at the ICF Canoe World Championships in Tyn nad Vltavou, Czech Republic, clocking 2hr 10 min 43.7 sec, behind Spain’s Emilio Merchan (2:10:19.83) and Czech Tomas Jezek (2:10:20.64).

2009 — Anthony Stott and Shaun Rubenstein win the K2 marathon silver at the ICF Canoe World Championships in Gaia, Portugal, a mere 1.42 sec behind Spanish victors Emilio Merchan and Alvaro Fiuza.

2012 — Jacques Kallis takes 4/15 as the Proteas beat Zimbabwe by 10 wickets in a World T20 match in Hambantota. Chasing 94, Richard Levi struck an unbeaten 50 and Hashim Amla 32 to claim the victory in the 13th over.