1962 — Parys paddler Nollie Meiring wins the inaugural Berg River canoe marathon in his rudderless canvas-and-wood boat Kelkiewyn. But after accepting the first prize, a new red Volkswagen Beetle, he was banned as a professional by the national canoeing federation. Meiring remained in canoeing, however, and drove around the country in his offending car to get to events, notching up more than 250,000km.
1962 — Race-walker Marie van Tonder sets an unofficial world best in the women’s 20km event on the road, clocking 1 hr 57 min 35 sec in Cape Town. Her mark was not ratified.
1979 — Alison Sheard birdies the last two holes of the Southport and Ainsdale course to score a three-stroke victory at the British women’s Open golf championship. The 27-year-old, who had turned professional just two months earlier, pocketed R5,850 and her final round score of level-par 72 included four birdies and an eagle. The tournament had yet to receive major status.
2001 — Captain Bobby Skinstad scores the only try as the Springboks beat Australia 20-15 in a Tri-Nations match at Loftus Versfeld. Braam van Straaten, at inside centre, slotted five penalties.
2003 — The first Test between South Africa and England in Birmingham ends in a draw.
2005 — Roland Schoeman and Ryk Neethling reach the same podium at the world championships as they finish second and third in the 100m freestyle in Montreal. Italy’s Filippo Magnini won in a 48.12 sec championship record, with Schoeman clocking 48.28 and Neethling 48.34. It was the first time two South Africans made the same podium at a world swimming championships. The previous year they had finished second and fourth at the Athens Olympics.
2009 — Khotso Mokoena wins the long jump at the Golden League meet in Monaco with a leap of 8.28m. That was the last season before the competition was rebranded as the Diamond League.
2013 — The Proteas are beaten by eight wickets in the fourth ODI against Sri Lanka in Kandy. JP Duminy top-scored with 97 as South Africa were bowled out for 238. But the hosts raced to victory in 44 overs, opener Tillakaratne Dilshan making an unbeaten 115 and Kumar Sangakkara 91. The win gave the hosts an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series.
2014 — The Proteas clinch a 1-0 away Test series against Sri Lanka, hanging on to force a draw in the final second Test in Colombo. Victory was never on the cards for the South Africans, chasing 359 in the final innings, but they batted throughout the final day. Reduced to 148/8, Vernon Philander and Imran Tahir gritted it out for eight overs and one ball until stumps were drawn. It was only the second time South Africa had won a series in Sri Lanka, after the success of the 1993 team.
2019 — US-based student Zane Waddell stuns the field as he wins the 50m backstroke at the world championships in Gwangju, South Korea, clocking 24.43 sec to to edge the Russian duo of Evgeny Rylov and Kliment Kolesnikov.
2019 — Below-strength Bafana Bafana lose to Lesotho for the first time, going down 2-3 after a late strike in the first leg of their African Nations Championship qualifier at Setsoto Stadium in Maseru. The South African side featured five new caps and was captained by Tercious Malepe.
2022 — Rilee Rossouw scores an unbeaten 96 off 55 balls as the Proteas, on 207/3, beat England by 58 runs in the second T20 in Cardiff to level the three-match series at 1-1. Tabraiz Shamsi took 3/27 and Andile Phehlukwayo 3/39.
2023 — Olympic champion Tatjana Schoenmaker wins her second medal of the world championships in Fukuoka, taking the 200m breaststroke gold in 2 min 20.80 sec ahead of American Kate Douglass in 2:21.23 and Tes Schouten of the Netherlands in 2:21.63. Schoenmaker’s 100m breaststroke silver was South Africa’s only other medal of the gala.
2023 — Linda Motlhalo and Christina Kgatlana score to put Banyana Banyana 2-0 up against Argentina in their World Cup match in Dunedin, but the South Americans strike twice to draw the match 2-2.
2023 — Ine-Mari Venter scores 43 points as the netball Proteas beat Wales 61-50 in their World Cup opener in Cape Town.
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