Mbulaeni Mulaudzi

Born in Muduluni, Transvaal Province, he had his first success as a teenager at the 1999 African Junior Athletics Championships, where he won the 800 m title. His first senior international medal was a silver at the 2000 African Championships in Athletics. He competed at the 2001 World Championships in Athletics and finished sixth in his first global final. At his first Commonwealth Games, Mulaudzi was first past the finish line to become the 2002 Commonwealth champion in the 800 m. He won a bronze medal at the 2003 World Championships the following year, in addition to a silver medal from the 2003 All-Africa Games. In the 2006 season he ranked number one in the world for the season – South Africa's first black athlete to do so. He was made South African Sportsman of the Year in recognition of this. At the 2006 World Indoor Championships he won a silver medal, and he repeated the feat two years later at the 2008 edition. He made the 800 m final at four consecutive World Athletics Championships, and won his first gold medal in the event in 2009. He set a lifetime best of 1:42.86 minutes later that year at the Rieti Meeting. He returned to competition in 2010 with a win at the Meeting Grand Prix IAAF de Dakar. == Death ==