Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. A - This South African cricketer is as well known for his large full beard and shaved head, as he is known for his batting and bowling abilities. He's a right-handed batsman and a right-arm medium-pace bowler, who made his test debut for South Africa against India in the 2004-05 season.
2. B - Nicknamed "Nasty Booter" by the British press, this South African rugby player was the highest points scorer in springbok rugby history, until July 2004. He had an amazing ability to drop kick goals and score tries. After his retirement he became a rugby commentator on TV.
3. C - In 2005, this South African made a record eleventh win at the Molokai World Surf Ski Championships, ten of which were consecutive wins. He has also won the South Africa Iron Man competition four times.
4. D - This South African swimmer made sporting history in 2002 by being the first athlete with a disability to qualify for the finals in an able bodied event, when she qualified for the 800m freestyle final at the Commonwealth Games in Manchester. She won gold for the 800m freestyle at the All-Africa Games in 2003.
5. E - What South African golfer is known as the "Big Easy"?
6. F - Known as the "Comrades King", this runner won the Comrades Marathon eight times in succession from 1981 to 1988, and nine times overall, breaking the record for the up and down runs. He also won the London to Brighton marathon three times in a row, 1981-82-83.
7. G - At the 2007 Cricket World cup, this South African batsman made history when he became the first player to hit six sixes in an over in a ODI match.
8. H - She was the first South African to win gold at the Olympics after 44 years. She won the gold medal in the 100m and 200m breaststroke in Atlanta in 1996.
9. I - This young golfer was the 2006 Rookie of the Year on the USA PGA tour. His first win was the Western Open in 2006, where he beat Tiger Woods by 2 strokes, and he ended the year as seventh on the money list.
10. J - In 1979, this South African was crowned Formula One world champion. He drove for Ferrari that year. Ferrari did not have another world champion until Michael Shumacher won the title in 2000, 21 years later.
11. K - This soccer player represented South Africa 50 times, from 1992 to 2004, scoring nine goals for Bafana Bafana. He started his career with Kaizer Chiefs, a SA premier league team. He was the "mid-field maestro" of South African soccer.
12. L - From barefoot water-skiing to motor racing to F1 powerboat racing, this sportsman has done well in all. He dominated South African Formula One powerboat racing, with 15 titles between 1981 and 1989. In 1989 he won the British Powerboat Grand Prix.
13. M - This South African boxer was the first to win four world titles; the WBO flyweight, WBO junior flyweight, IBA junior flyweight and WBU junior flyweight titles. This boxer ended his career in 2002 with a win over Juan Herrera. In his time, he managed 52 wins, two draws and 12 losses.
14. N - The story of this cricketer's rise to fame is like a fairy tale. He came from humble beginnings in a small rural village, where he tended the cattle. A development officer looking for youngsters with talent that could be developed gave him a ball, and asked him to bowl. His debut with the Protea team was in January 1998.
15. O - This pole-vaulter set the African record in 1995 with a best vault of 6.03 meters. He competed in the 1996, 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games.
16. P - This South African golfer won 163 international tournaments from 1953 to 1987. He is also one of the few players to win golf's Grand Slam, and the first golfer to win the British Open in three different decades.
17. Q - This South African sprinter won a silver medal in the 4 x 100 meters relay at the 2001 World Championships in Athletics. The team was promoted to gold medallists following a ruling, which retroactively disqualified the U.S. team.
18. R - Leeds United fans called him "The Chief". South African soccer fans know him as one of the most capped footballers for Bafana Bafana. He retired from professional soccer in 2005, after 70 caps for South Africa.
19. S - This 800m runner was the first South African man to win a track and field Olympic medal since 1928, when he won the silver medal at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996.
20. T - Known as the surf world's first real professional, this South African surfer was crowned world champion in 1977. In 1975 he won the Pipeline Masters in Hawaii. He remained in the top 16 on the world surf tour list, from its inception, until 1989.
21. V - This Springbok rugby player retired after the 2003 Rugby World Cup, with a record number of caps (89, of which 8 were as captain), and the most tries (38).
22. W - This South African won the World Bowls Outdoor Singles championship in 1976. In the same competition he also won the pairs.
23. Y - This South African netball player made a name for herself as part of the under 21 National team that toured England. She then represented her country in a tour to Fiji and New Zealand in 2006. She was selected for the national team to tour England in 2007, but was killed in a car crash in December 2006.
24. Z - She is probably best known for running barefoot, and for being involved in the Mary Decker incident at the 1984 Olympic 3000 meter event. This athlete made her mark on world sports during the 1980's. She broke the women's 5000 meter world record in 1984 and 1985, and was World Cross Country champion in 1985 and 1986.
25. Partners - These two are the first South Africans in the International Tennis Hall of Fame. They are one of the greatest doubles pairings in the history of tennis, with 57 career titles behind their names. This was a record for a doubles team, which was only broken in 2001.
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