Athlete Hendrik Mokganyetsi, a veteran campaigner in the SA Olympic team, collapsed during training at the Olympic Village on Saturday and spent the weekend in hospital.
Wayne Derman, the chief medical officer of the SA team, said on Sunday that Mokganyetsi had undergone medical tests and doctors had found no problems with him.
”He fainted while training and was immediately attended to by the South African medical team,” said Derman. ”He was taken to the Olympic Village Polyclinic where initital tests were conducted and he showed no abnormalities.
”He was transferred to a local hospital where doctors decided to keep him under observation for 24 hours.”
Athletes believe Mokganyetsi might have been overcome by the intense heat and humidity.
The Pretoria athlete, who has represented South Africa on numerous occasions in the 400 metres, is a member of the 4x400m relay team that will need his services during the tough qualifying stages, especially if 400m hurdler Llewellyn Herbert fails to find form in the next two weeks.
This is not the first time Mokganyetsi has collapsed after running. In 2001 he fainted after completing the 400m final at the national championships in Durban. – Sapa