/ 6 October 2003

SA gymnast scores at All-Africa Games

South Africa’s Dewald Laubscher won the men’s all-around gymnastics on Sunday, and became the first person to take home the event’s gold medal from three consecutive All-Africa Games.

Judges awarded 53,225 points to the 28-year-old Laubscher — just enough to top Algeria’s Ferdjani Sid-Ali, who scored 52,582.

Algeria’s Ait-Saada Fateh won bronze with 51,900.

Laubscher won the same prize in Harare, Zimbabwe, in 1995 and in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1999.

Laubscher’s efforts couldn’t lift his country past Algeria in the team competition, however, with the North African nation’s 156,450 points enough to win gold. South Africa’s 155,775-point effort came up with silver. Egypt picked up the bronze medal with 154,860. — Sapa-AP