Olympics Special – Elroy Gelant on chasing that medal with the “lion pack”
By Stephen Granger
Elroy Gelant faces one of the biggest tests of his athletics career in Japan in three weeks’ time when he lines up at the start of the Olympic Marathon in Sapporo, 800km north of the Olympic City...
NIGER’S TAEKWONDO HERO AIMS FOR TOKYO GOLD
Abdoulrazak Alfaga had to practice taekwondo in secret when he started his sport. Now, at 26, he is a world champion, is idolised in Niger and is aiming to capture gold in Tokoyo. This is his story.
(video available here)
"When...
Olympics Special – Nigeria’s first woman track & field gold medalist
Chioma Ajunwa was the first black African woman to win an Olympic gold medal in a field event. She didn't understand the significance until she was swamped by a crowd during a stopover in Senegal, on the way home.
By Humphrey...
Olympics Special: Irvette Van Zyl’s remarkable comeback
By Stephen Granger
In May 2020, three-time Soweto Marathon and SPAR Grand Prix 10km series winner, Irvette Van Zyl, chose to go under the knife to relieve the nagging knee pain she had experienced ever since a scooter accident as...
An emotional reunion as Elana and Deratu meet again in Barcelona – host city...
by Stephen Granger
Elana Meyer and Deratu Tulu’s shared celebration of their gold and silver medal-winning performances in the 10 000m at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics remains one of the world’s most powerful images. Thirty years after the two young athletes...
A family’s dream rests on “Black Bombers” Olympic fortunes
When the Ghanaian boxing team, “The Black Bombers” take on their opponents at this year's Olympics in Japan, a lot of the pressure will be on light heavyweight slugger, Shakur Samed, 22, who is out to fulfil a long-standing...
For Africa’s marathon runners, the “fastest way to Tokyo” gold may be via Hamburg
The German city of Hamburg takes centre stage in world distance running in April, with many of Africa's - and the world’s - leading marathoners, expected to toe the line of the NN Mission Marathon.
World record-holder, Eliud Kipchoge,...
Olympics Special – Stephen Mokoka’s mission in Sapporo
Stephen Mokoka feeds of the support from an activation station en route to winning the 2018 Cape Town Marathon. Photo: Stephen Granger
South African distance running supremo, Stephen Lesego Mokoka, is a man on an extraordinary mission: to follow in...
Van Niekerk looks for positives in Tokyo 2020 postponement
Olympic 400m champion Wayde van Niekerk says that while the postponement of the 2020 Tokyo Games due to the coronavirus outbreak was a “downer” the delay will give him time to regain full fitness after a long period on...