Landmark is level 2 of 4 in the South Africa Hall of Fame: a first that opened a door, or the pre-eminent figure of their generation in this country. See how the levels work.
Why they are here
Shot in a carjacking five months earlier, a late replacement for an injured team-mate, and he won the Atlanta marathon by three seconds — the closest Olympic marathon finish there has ever been.
Josia Thugwane won the marathon at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, the first Black athlete to win an Olympic gold medal for South Africa.
He was a late call-up for the injured Xolile Yawa and was still recovering from being shot in a carjacking five months before the Games. He finished three seconds ahead of Lee Bong-ju, the closest Olympic marathon finish on record. Like many Black South Africans schooled under apartheid he had little formal education, and learned to read and write after his Olympic win.
He was a late call-up for the injured Xolile Yawa and was still recovering from being shot in a carjacking five months before the Games. He finished three seconds ahead of Lee Bong-ju, the closest Olympic marathon finish on record. Like many Black South Africans schooled under apartheid he had little formal education, and learned to read and write after his Olympic win.
- Wikipedia — Josia Thugwane
- South African History Online — Josiah Thugwane
- Daily Maverick — Against all odds: Josia Thugwane's heroic effort lit up the nation
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