1952 — Cyclists Alfred Swift, George Eastman, Robert Fowler and Thomas Shardelow combine to win Olympic silver in the men’s 4,000m team pursuit at the Helsinki Games, finishing behind Italy.
1995 — Okkert Brits becomes the third pole-vaulter in history to clear six metres as he finishes second behind then world record-holder Sergei Bubka of Ukraine at a competition in Sestriere, Italy. Before that Brits had not been beyond 5.92m. Bubka’s best stood at 6.14m and Radion Gataullin of Russia had been 6.02m.
2009 — Cameron van der Burgh wins the 50m breaststroke at the world championships in Rome, touching first in a 26.67 world record ahead of Brazilian Felipe Silva in 26.76.
2012 — Cameron van der Burgh lands South Africa’s first Olympic gold medal in eight years when he wins the 100m breaststroke in a world record 58.46 sec at the London Games.
2021 — Mustapha Cassiem scores the winner as South Africa upset Germany 4-3 in a group B field hockey match at the Tokyo Olympics. Matthew Guise-Brown scored to equalise at 1-1, and Keenan Horne put South African up 2-1 before the Germans, the bronze medallists at the previous Games, fought back for a 3-2 lead. Nicholas Spooner equalised before Cassiem secured his team’s only win of the tournament.
Games history
Olympics day in history: Cameron van der Burgh lands SA’s first Olympic gold medal in eight years
Today in Olympic history: July 29
1952 — Cyclists Alfred Swift, George Eastman, Robert Fowler and Thomas Shardelow combine to win Olympic silver in the men’s 4,000m team pursuit at the Helsinki Games, finishing behind Italy.
1995 — Okkert Brits becomes the third pole-vaulter in history to clear six metres as he finishes second behind then world record-holder Sergei Bubka of Ukraine at a competition in Sestriere, Italy. Before that Brits had not been beyond 5.92m. Bubka’s best stood at 6.14m and Radion Gataullin of Russia had been 6.02m.
2009 — Cameron van der Burgh wins the 50m breaststroke at the world championships in Rome, touching first in a 26.67 world record ahead of Brazilian Felipe Silva in 26.76.
2012 — Cameron van der Burgh lands South Africa’s first Olympic gold medal in eight years when he wins the 100m breaststroke in a world record 58.46 sec at the London Games.
2021 — Mustapha Cassiem scores the winner as South Africa upset Germany 4-3 in a group B field hockey match at the Tokyo Olympics. Matthew Guise-Brown scored to equalise at 1-1, and Keenan Horne put South African up 2-1 before the Germans, the bronze medallists at the previous Games, fought back for a 3-2 lead. Nicholas Spooner equalised before Cassiem secured his team’s only win of the tournament.