With just a couple of days remaining of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Championships in Paris, South Africa’s final medal tally is assuming a far greater meaning than simply hardware brought home.
With the battle between Athletics South Africa (ASA) and the National Olympic Committee of South Africa (Nocsa) still very much on, medals or the lack thereof will supply much-needed ammunition in the war effort.
This time all the guns look to be facing Nocsa as ASA can come out winners with a little bit of spin doctoring. Should they not deliver the necessary medals, they can say, ‘this was because we were not given enough funds to invest in medalsâ€. Should they meet the public’s high demands, they can say, ‘if this is what we can do on meagre funds, imagine what we can do if we get what we wantâ€.
So far ASA is slightly ahead of target: the team has moved from traditional slow starters to speed merchants of note, and a world first beckons in the high jump. Jacques Freitag’s gold, albeit at the lowest winning height in a world champion-ship means that should Hestrie Cloete clinch the gold as expected, it will be the first time one country has taken both the male and female version of the high jump.
It was a dream start for South African when the 2,07m tall Freitag, who turned 21 in June, completed the magical triple of youth gold in Bydgoszcz (1999), junior gold in Santiago de Chile (2000) and now gold in Paris. All of this came within four years, with most of one of those years spent on the sidelines with a serious ankle injury he sustained fooling around in the gym.
Freitag’s meteoric climb up the world ladder has not been achieved on hard work alone, he had the foresight to choose his parents wisely. His mother, Helena Pieters, is also a former South African title holder having jumped a height of 1,72m in 1973. He now looks to be the number one candidate to break Cuban legend Javier Sotomayor’s world record of 2,45m. Â
‘[Breaking the record] is one of my major targets but it will have to wait, first things first. The world champion-ships and next year’s Olympic Games are my immediate and most important targets. After my opening jumps I could ease up a little because I knew that 2,35m was within my reach, so I was not scared of anything,†he enthused.
Freitag’s precious gold was only the third won by a South African at the global track and field championships since the country returned to the international scene 11 years ago.
 Â
Cloete will hopefully put the championships to bed as she did in her last championship outing, in Edmonton, Canada, with a gold medal. She is presently widely regarded as one of the few 2001 champions who will retain their titles in Paris.
Following her recent brilliant spell at all the major IAAF meetings, she has moved into second place on the IAAF’s overall women’s rankings, behind Gail Devers, who did not make the hurdles final when she stumbled at hurdle number seven and ended out of the placings.
 Â
There was, however, good news for Maria De Lourdes Motula who cantered to victory in the 800m, claiming her eighth world title. Her task was made a little easier by the absence of arch rival Stephanie Graf, who opted out of the final.
This victory is Mutola’s penultimate step in a season she will remember for ever. She just has to win the final Golden League meeting to pocket the $1-million first prize.
Llewellyn Herbert has made it through to the finals of the 400m hurdles, although the news was not as good for the other two South African entrants, Alwyn Myburgh and Ockert Cilliers, neither of whom progressed beyond the semifinals.  Â
Medical student Frantz Kruger never looked on form as he faded to a dismal sixth position in the discus final. Consistent problems with his rhythm made him look a lot more like a windmill than the slow, deliberate powerhouse he usually is.
Lanky Stellenbosch-based pole-vaulter Okkert Brits cruised through to the finals, where he stands a realistic chance of making at least the lowest rung on the medal podium, based on talent alone.