Historically speaking, nineteen eighty-nine was a pivotal year. The fall of the Berlin Wall, Perestroika and the end of the Cold War were among the marked political changes afoot in Europe, the central theme being the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Closer to home, the Border War was ending (officially at least), UNTAG was in Namibia and the writing was on the wall for the Apartheid regime of South Africa. Incidental or coincidental some might say, perspective dependent of course.
Whilst sporting sanctions against the soon-to-be Rainbow Nation persisted, several undercover or rebel tours continued to take place. Additionally, familiar “homegrown” names did pop up in the overseas sporting circuit from time to time, although often accompanied by foreign national acronyms on the results sheets. Martin “Potz” Potter surfing for Great Britain or Paula Newby-Fraser winning the Hawaii Ironman for Zimbabwe, two such examples of “international” South Africans.
In January 1989, several US track and field athletes were handed lengthy suspensions by TAC for participating in an extended tour to South Africa the previous year. These naughty boys and girls had taken part in a series of athletics meetings sponsored by a local petroleum agency with mixed results. Among this group were Ray Wicksell and Tom Petranoff, who both stayed on and made their lives in the Republic, with Wicksell still resident in Pretoria.
In keeping with the international triathlon theme from the previous year, Cape Town entrepreneur and triathlete Nic van den Bergh managed to once again pull off another rebel triathlon tour. This time comprising a group of American professional triathletes, the Longmile International Triathlon Team hosted the likes of Emilio de Soto and Rob Bistodeau among their ranks. Both established “second-tier” pros from Southern California, de Soto and Bistodeau were impressive all-round athletes. The second string terminology is not meant as derogatory; taking into account the dominating forces like Mark Allen, Mike Pigg, Dave Scott and Scott Molina, the term “pro triathlete” referred to a massive pool of several hundred individuals Stateside all making some sort of living (read: pocket money) from the sport in one way or another. Depth was impressive and “cherry-picking” was prevalent, where clever athletes could earn good money at events removed from the more established big-city races.
Take De Soto for instance. A Cuban immigrant and highly talented athlete, the naturalized Southern Californian would travel around to smaller races, making deals with race directors for appearance fees, food and lodging in return for his holding training clinics for age-group participants. A win-win situation for athlete and promoter alike, sowing the seed for De Soto’s eventual sports clothing business bearing his surname, De Soto Sports. Unsurprising then that such an enterprising individual would accept an invitation from an equally savvy South African to embark on an adventurous tour to the Dark Continent and later enthusing of South Africa as "the world's best kept secret! Man, if I get banned like those track and field guys I'll move out here straight away!"
Two “Test Matches” were once again scheduled, the venues this time being a windswept Port Elizabeth and a sunny Gordon’s Bay. Coming off the heels of perhaps the most competitive triathlon in South Africa up until that point – the Fedlife Inter-provincial Triathlon – competition was always going to be tough and down to the wire. Provincialism in South African sport was at its peak and triathlon was no different. Sporting isolation meant that national teams were selected from such inter-provincial meetings only to compete against each other (or rebel internationals) at an end of season event.
These Tests were no different, with the South African athletes dominating both events. Tim Stewart won in Port Elizabeth and Bloemfontein’s Deon Steyn was victorious in Gordon’s Bay, with Mandy Dean taking out both events in the women’s section.
A closer look at the header image reveals at least one interesting face. To the far left is a lanky eighteen year old named Simon Lessing. Already victorious at the Fedlife race in Port Elizabeth that February, Lessing was competing in his final couple of South African events before heading off to Europe to begin his journey as a professional athlete. Real “Leaving-on-a-jet-plane-don’t-know-when-I’ll-be-back-again” stuff. He really didn’t know and after a few months living in a London youth hostel, joined up with a group of equally adventurous South Africans (including Dean and Kevin Richards, pictured centre sans swim cap) in the south of France.
Three years later he would be World Champion.
