London Olympics: South Africa tops continent's medal standings

Cape Town - South African athletes won more medals than any other African country at the London Olympics but fell short of the projected tally, authorities said.

South Africa ended up at the 24th position in the overall standings, with three gold medals, two silver and a bronze.

But South Africa Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) President Gideon Sam was not satisfied with the results, saying the country left a few medals behind at the Games, Xinhua reports.

“For me it is a success in some ways, but also in other ways I feel we left the medals behind, they were there for the taking,” Sam said.

South Africa set a target of 12 medals.

Despite failure to achieve the target, South Africa concluded this year’s global showpiece as their most successful Games since re-admission to international sport in Barcelona, in 1992. At the 2008 Beijing Games, South Africa won only one silver medal.

South African athletes won three medals in water sports, one in rowing, one in canoeing and one in women’s middle distance ace.

The South Africans were expected to win medals in track and field, and mountain biking, but could not make it.

South Africa were followed by Ethiopia, who finished second in Africa in 25th spot, while Kenya were third in 28th position.