/ 8 August 2012

Sascoc: No official complaint over Cameron van der Burgh

South Africa's Olympic gold medallist and record breaker Cameron van der Burgh.
South Africa's Olympic gold medallist and record breaker Cameron van der Burgh.

Gold medallist and world record-breaker Cameron van der Burgh has been accused in the media of making "illegal extra underwater kicks" during his swim at London 2012.

There was no cause for alarm, said the country's chef de mission Patience Shikwambana, who said she had spoken to the manager of the aquatic squad, Shaun Adriaanse, who is also Swimming South Africa's chief executive.

"It's clear and simple. There is really no point in commenting on media reports," Shikwambana said in a statement issued by the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) on Tuesday.

"Suffice to say we haven't been informed by swimming's governing body [Fina] of anything untoward and neither have we heard anything from the International Olympic Committee [IOC] … We are disciplined members of the IOC, but there has been no discussion with them on this matter … As Team South Africa, we're still working hard in the final week of these Olympics and there is a tremendous spirit in the camp."

Van der Burgh won South Africa's first medal at the London Olympics in the men's 100m breaststroke final, in a time of 58.46 – 0.12 seconds faster than the previous record held by Australian Brenton Rickard. –  Sapa