Brits brings SA another medal in Paris
Paris - Okkert Brits turned 30 a week ago. He came of age on Thursday night.
After an international career spanning well over a decade, the pole vault star from Stellenbosch finally won a medal at a major championship by clinching silver after a nerve-jangling battle in the world championships at Stade de France.
"I will definitely cherish this medal for ever," he said after clearing a season's best height of 5,85m with his second attempt, then failing at 5,90, once, and 5,95, twice, to lose out on gold to Italian Giuseppe Gibilisco.
The Uitenhage-born star, vaulted his lifetime best of 6,03m all of eight years ago, but it just wasn't to be last evening.
South Africa's medals tally doubled to two following Jacques Freitag's gold earlier in the week.
There are high hopes of further medal success in the men's 800m after Mbulaeni Mulaudzi and Hezekiel Sepeng cruised through their heats to advance to Friday night's semifinals.
Mulaudzi, a definite medal contender, won his heat in 1min 47,62sec, while Sepeng was second in his in 1:46,09.
Shaun Bownes was third in his high hurdles heat in a season's best 13,50 seconds, which saw him advance to Friday night's semifinals.