Mbulaeni Mulaudzi

{{Infobox sportsperson

|name = Mbulaeni Mulaudzi

|image = Osaka07 D7A Mbulaeni Mulaudzi.jpg

|imagesize = 200

|caption = Mulaudzi at the 2007 World Championships

| sport = Track

| event = 800 metres

| nationality = South African

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|birth_date = {{Birth date|df=y|1980|9|8}}

|birth_place = Muduluni, South Africa

|death_date = {{death date and age|df=y|2014|10|24|1980|9|8}}

|death_place = eMalahleni, South Africa

|collegeteam =

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|pb = 800 metres: 1:42.86{{cite web|url=http://www.all-athletics.com/en-us/athlete/67189|author=All-Athletics|title=Profile of Mbulaeni Mulaudzi}}
1500 metres: 3:38.5

|olympics =

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{{MedalCountry | {{ZAF}} }}

}}

Mbulaeni Tongai Mulaudzi OIB (8 September 1980 – 24 October 2014) was a South African middle-distance runner, and the 2009 world champion in the men's 800 metres.

His first global medal was a silver at the 2000 African Championships in Athletics.{{Cite web|url = http://www.sport24.co.za/othersport/athletics/south-africa/sascoc-mourns-mulaudzis-death-20141025?mobile=true|title = SASCOC mourns Mulaudzi's death|date = 25 October 2014|access-date = 28 October 2014|website = Sport24|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141028203458/http://www.sport24.co.za/othersport/athletics/south-africa/sascoc-mourns-mulaudzis-death-20141025?mobile=true|archive-date = 28 October 2014|url-status = live}} He later won a bronze at the 2003 World Championships in Athletics, which came a year after his victory at the 2002 Commonwealth Games. Mulaudzi was a gold medallist at the 2004 IAAF World Indoor Championships and won two further silver medals at the competition in 2006 and 2008. He was a runner-up at continental level on three occasions, taking the 800 m silver at the African Championships in Athletics in 2000 and at the All-Africa Games in 2003 and 2007. He carried the flag for his native country at the opening ceremony of the 2004 Summer Olympics, where he became an Olympic silver medallist.

His personal best for the 800 m was 1:42.86 minutes. He ranked first on time in the 2006 and 2007 seasons, becoming the first Black South African to achieve such a feat.[https://www.reuters.com/article/us-athletics-safrica-mulaudzi-factbox-idUSKCN0ID2EJ20141024 FACTBOX-The late Mbulaeni Mulaudzi]. Reuters (24 October 2014). Retrieved on 25 October 2014.

Career

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.[http://www.gbrathletics.com/ic/afj.htm African Junior Championships]. GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 25 October 2014.

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.{{cite web|url=http://www.enca.com/sport/mbulaeni-mulaudzi-killed-car-accident|title=Mbulaeni Mulaudzi killed in car accident|website=eNCA|date=24 October 2014|access-date=27 October 2014}} 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.

He came to prominence in 2004, when he won at the World Indoor Championships and reached the podium at the 2004 Athens Olympics to win an Olympic silver medal. That year he was inducted into the University of Pretoria Sport Hall of fame.{{cite web|url=http://web.up.ac.za/default.asp?ipkCategoryID%3D10413 |title=Hall of fame > University of Pretoria |access-date=19 January 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717033810/http://web.up.ac.za/default.asp?ipkCategoryID=10413 |archive-date=17 July 2011 }} Hall of fame Retrieved 25 June 2011

In the 2006 season he ranked number one in the world for the season – South Africa's first black athlete to do so.[http://www.time-to-run.co.za/news/2006/jul-sept/190906.htm From dusty Village to World Traveler - Mbulaeni Mulaudzi] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071014084240/http://www.time-to-run.co.za/news/2006/jul-sept/190906.htm |date=14 October 2007 }}. Time to Run. Retrieved on 23 August 2009. He was made South African Sportsman of the Year in recognition of this.[http://www.sasportsawards.co.za/portal/site/sasportsawards06/menuitem.c69ad99ebe1d7e2ad4730683a24daeb9/ Winners] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131213164431/http://www.sasportsawards.co.za/portal/site/sasportsawards06/menuitem.c69ad99ebe1d7e2ad4730683a24daeb9/ |date=13 December 2013 }}. SASports Awards. Retrieved on 25 October 2014. At the 2006 World Indoor Championships he won a silver medal, and he repeated the feat two years later at the 2008 edition. He represented South Africa at the 2008 Beijing Olympics but was knocked out of the 800 m at the semi-final stage.{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-10-25/ex-world-800-metres-champion-mbulaeni-mulaudzi-dies-in-car-crash/5841106|title=Ex-world 800 metres champion Mbulaeni Mulaudzi dies in car crash|agency=Reuters|date=24 October 2014|access-date=27 October 2014|publisher=ABC|location=Australia}}

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.[http://www.iaaf.org/news/iaaf-news/mbulaeni-muluadzi-south-africa-800m-obituary Former world 800m champion Mulaudzi dies]. IAAF (24 October 2014). Retrieved on 25 October 2014. He returned to competition in 2010 with a win at the Meeting Grand Prix IAAF de Dakar.Turner, Chris (24 April 2010). [http://www.iaaf.org/IWC10/news/kind=100/newsid=56549.html Wlodarczyk blasts out 75.13m release in Dakar – IAAF World Challenge] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100427064253/http://www.iaaf.org/IWC10/news/kind%3D100/newsid%3D56549.html |date=27 April 2010 }}. IAAF. Retrieved on 25 April 2010.

Death

Mulaudzi died in a car crash on 24 October 2014 at the age of 34.{{Cite news|url=http://ewn.co.za/2014/10/24/SA-Olympic-athlete-killed-in-car-crash|title=SA Olympic athlete killed in car crash|last=News|first=Eyewitness|access-date=11 January 2018|language=en}} He was en route to an Athletics South Africa athletics meeting when his car overturned.{{cite web|url=http://www.ewn.co.za/2014/10/25/SA-has-lost-one-of-its-most-talented-athletes|title=SA has lost one of its most talented athletes|last=Mdhuli|first=Nomsa|access-date=25 October 2014|date=25 October 2014|website=Eyewitness News}}{{cite web|url=http://www.sport24.co.za/othersport/athletics/details-of-mulaudzi-crash-emerge-20141025|title=Details of Mulaudzi crash emerge|date=25 October 2014|access-date=26 October 2014|website=Sport24|agency=South African Press Association}} His death was confirmed by his manager, Peet van Zyl, who said: "Mr Mulaudzi was surely one of the most decorated track athletes that South Africa has ever seen and unfortunately never had the recognition from the federation for all his achievements, so it is indeed a sad day."[https://in.reuters.com/article/athletics-safrica-mulaudzi-idCNL3N0SJ5X720141024 Reuters]{{dead link|date=September 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} The President of South Africa, Jacob Zuma, noted his death, saying that he was one of the nation's most talented athletes. Presidential spokesperson Mac Maharaj mirrored this, saying that the nation had lost a hero and that Mulaudzi had flown the South African flag through his athletics. The International Association of Athletics Federations, the governing body for the sport, said it was "deeply saddened" to hear of Mulaudzi's death.{{cite web|url=http://www.iaaf.org/news/iaaf-news/mbulaeni-muluadzi-south-africa-800m-obituary|title=FORMER WORLD 800M CHAMPION MULAUDZI DIES|date=24 October 2014|publisher=IAAF|access-date=25 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141024200522/http://www.iaaf.org/news/iaaf-news/mbulaeni-muluadzi-south-africa-800m-obituary|archive-date=24 October 2014|url-status=live}} The International Olympic Committee expressed sadness and sympathy towards the sports family of South Africa and Mulaudzi's friends and family.{{cite web|url=http://www.olympic.org/news/ioc-statement-on-the-death-of-south-african-olympian-mbulaeni-mulaudzi/239970?fullsite=yes|title=IOC statement on the death of South African Olympian Mbulaeni Mulaudzi|website=International Olympic Committee|date=25 October 2014|access-date=25 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141025173615/http://www.olympic.org/news/ioc-statement-on-the-death-of-south-african-olympian-mbulaeni-mulaudzi/239970?fullsite=yes|url-status=live|archive-date=25 October 2014}} South African athletes Caster Semenya and Khotso Mokoena used Twitter to express their emotions following Mulaudzi's death. Semenya said: "Just lost a brother, a friend very good friend! May your soul rest in peace Mbulayeni Mulaudzi! I love you man will always love you Champ!" and Mokoena said: "I've lost a brother, a friend, and a national hero! Sad news to my soul..."{{cite web|url=http://www.sport24.co.za/OtherSport/Athletics/South-Africa/Caster-pays-tribute-to-Mulaudzi-20141024|title=Caster pays tribute to Mulaudzi|date=24 October 2014|access-date=26 October 2014|website=Sport24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141025144921/http://www.sport24.co.za/OtherSport/Athletics/South-Africa/Caster-pays-tribute-to-Mulaudzi-20141024|archive-date=25 October 2014|url-status=live}}

Personal bests

800 metres – 1:42.86 min (2009)
800 metres (indoor) – 1:44.91 min (2008)
1000 metres – 2:15.86 min (2007)
1500 metres – 3:38.55 min (2008)

Honours

Mulaudzi was awarded the Order of Ikhamanga in bronze (posthumously) in 2015.{{Cite web |title=Zuma to bestow National Orders awards |last=Ngwenya |first=Jabulile S. |work=Independent Online |date=7 December 2015 |access-date=8 December 2015 |url=http://beta.iol.co.za/news/special-features/the-zuma-era/zuma-to-bestow-national-orders-awards-1956315 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151210183240/http://beta.iol.co.za/news/special-features/the-zuma-era/zuma-to-bestow-national-orders-awards-1956315 |archive-date=10 December 2015}}