South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

competed at the

2004 Summer Olympics The 2004 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad (), and officially branded as Athens 2004 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 13 to 29 August 2004 in Athens, Greece. The Games saw 10,625 athletes ...

Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...

Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...

, from 13 to 29 August 2004. This was the nation's sixteenth overall and fourth consecutive appearance at the Summer Olympics in the post-apartheid era. The

South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee The South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) () is the National Olympic Committee (NOC) and National Paralympic Committee (NPC) for South Africa, and the responsible body for South Africa at the Commonwealth Games. It i ...

(SASCOC) sent a total of 106 athletes to the Games, 66 men and 40 women, to compete in 19 sports.

Field hockey Field hockey (or simply referred to as hockey in some countries where ice hockey is not popular) is a team sport structured in standard hockey format, in which each team plays with 11 players in total, made up of 10 field players and a goalk ...

was the only team-based sport in which South Africa had its representation at these Games. There was only a single competitor in archery, canoeing, diving, artistic and rhythmic gymnastics, judo, sailing, shooting, taekwondo, and wrestling. The South African team featured four Olympic medalists from Sydney: breaststroke swimmer

Terence Parkin Terence Mike Parkin (born 12 April 1980 in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe) is a swimmer from South Africa, who won the silver medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics in the 200m Breaststroke. Parkin, who was born deaf, also competed in the 2004 Summer Olympics, ...

, high jumper Hestrie Cloete, discus thrower Frantz Kruger, and hurdler Llewellyn Herbert. Several athletes made their third consecutive Olympic appearance, including freestyle

Ryk Neethling Ryk Neethling OIS (born 17 November 1977) is a South African businessman who rose to prominence as a three-time World Aquatic Champion and four-time World Record breaking Olympic swimming champion, participating in four Olympics for South Af ...

and middle distance runner Hezekiél Sepeng, who previously won the silver in Atlanta for the men's 800 metres. Sepeng's fellow runner and teammate Mbulaeni Mulaudzi, a top medal contender on the same event, later became the nation's flag bearer in the opening ceremony. South Africa left Athens with a remarkable tally of six Olympic medals, one gold, three silver, and two bronze, being considered its most successful Olympics since the

1996 Summer Olympics The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly referred to as the Centennial Olympic Games) were an international multi-sport event held from July 19 to August 4, 1996, in Atlanta, ...

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

. The highlight of the South African team at these Games came with a surprising triumph in men's swimming, when Roland Mark Schoeman,

, Lyndon Ferns, and Darian Townsend held a major upset on the Aussies, Americans, and the Dutch for a new world record and a prestigious gold medal in the 4 × 100 m freestyle relay. Furthermore, Schoeman completed a full set of medals to become the most decorated South African athlete at these Games, adding his silver in the men's 100 m freestyle and bronze in the men's 50 m freestyle. Cloete managed to repeat her silver from Sydney in the women's high jump, while Donovan Cech and Ramon di Clemente claimed a bronze for the first time in men's rowing. Field hockey players Craig and Natalie Fulton became the first married couple to represent South Africa at the same Olympic Games.

Medalists

Archery

One South African archer qualified for the women's individual archery through the African Championships.

Athletics

South African athletes have so far achieved qualifying standards in the following athletics events (up to a maximum of 3 athletes in each event at the 'A' Standard, and 1 at the 'B' Standard). ;Men ;Track & road events ;Field events ;Women ;Track & road events ;Field events ;Combined events –

Heptathlon A heptathlon is a track and field combined events contest made up of seven events. The name derives from the Greek ἑπτά (hepta, meaning "seven") and ἄθλος (áthlos, or ἄθλον, áthlon, meaning "competition"). A competitor in a hep ...

Badminton

Boxing

South Africa sent three boxers to Athens.

Canoeing

Sprint

Qualification Legend: Q = Qualify to final; q = Qualify to semifinal

Cycling

Road

Diving

South African divers qualified for two individual spots at the 2004 Olympic Games. ;Women

Fencing

;Women

Field hockey

Men's tournament

;Roster ;Group play ---- ---- ---- ---- ;Classification match (9th–12th place) ;9th place final

Women's tournament

;Roster ;Group play ---- ---- ---- ;9th place final

Gymnastics

Artistic

;Women

Rhythmic

Judo

South Africa has qualified a single judoka.

Rowing

South African rowers qualified the following boats: ;Men Qualification Legend: FA=Final A (medal); FB=Final B (non-medal); FC=Final C (non-medal); FD=Final D (non-medal); FE=Final E (non-medal); FF=Final F (non-medal); SA/B=Semifinals A/B; SC/D=Semifinals C/D; SE/F=Semifinals E/F; R=Repechage

Sailing

South African sailors have qualified one boat for each of the following events. ;Open M = Medal race; OCS = On course side of the starting line; DSQ = Disqualified; DNF = Did not finish; DNS= Did not start; RDG = Redress given

Shooting

;Men

Swimming

South African swimmers earned qualifying standards in the following events (up to a maximum of 2 swimmers in each event at the A-standard time, and 1 at the B-standard time): ;Men

Taekwondo

Triathlon

Two South African triathletes qualified for the following events.

Volleyball

Beach

Wrestling

;Men's freestyle

References

External links

Official Report of the XXVIII Olympiad

South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC)
{{DEFAULTSORT:South Africa At The 2004 Summer Olympics Nations at the 2004 Summer Olympics

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