SA banks on high flyers

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* Llewellyn Herbert

* Don't talk about medals

* Mulaudzi to carry SA flag

* Heavy load for SA coaches

* Hestrie Cloete

* Jacques Freitag

* Hezekiel Sepeng

* Mbulaeni (Silver Bullet) Mulaudzi

* Ockert Cilliers

Athens - Hestrie Cloete's long-range plans for this summer included watching the Olympics on TV and starting a family, but the South African high jumper changed her mind when she won the world title last year.

"I had to re-think what I was going to do," admitted the Sydney Olympics silver medallist, who will celebrate her 26th birthday on August 26, two days before the women's high jump final at the Athens Olympics.

Last year, with the winning jump that landed the World Championship gold medal, Cloete also raised her African record to 2.06m to go equal fourth on the all-time list for the event.

"I have now started thinking about the world record. I had two shots at it last summer and I know that on the right day it could be there," Cloete added, with the mark of 2.09m in mind that has stood since 1987 to Bulgaria's Stefka Kostadinova.

If Cloete does win gold then she will become just the second SA women to win an Olympic athletics gold medal.

Coincidently, the only other victory was in the women's high jump, by Esther Brand in 1952.

Now 80, Brand is still involved in athletics and has been a major influence on Cloete's career.

"She normally phones me a lot. She encourages me. She's one of the ladies of the past who still takes a keen interest. She likes to see me keep the flame alive.

"And she told me that she's had the honour of being the country's only women to win a gold medal for long enough," added Cloete.

Serious ankle injuries

Having only won one gold medal since their return to the Olympic Games in Barcelona 12 years ago - Josiah Thugwane won the men's marathon in 1996 - South Africa stand a good chance of topping the podium in both high jump events.

World champion Jacques Freitag looked to have lost his Olympic chance when he announced in May that he was suffering from a serious ankle injuries.

However, the gangling 2.04m-tall jumper made a miraculous recovery thanks to the work of the famed South Africa-based kinesiologist Ron Holder.

Holder specialises in correcting posture problems with his trademark shoe inserts created from old telephone directories.

"He sorted out the muscle imbalance that caused the injury, he's been psychologist, dietician, chiropractor and even assisted with some training and coaching advice," Freitag said when the South African team was announced last month.

"You have no idea how delighted I am to be included in this team. Eight weeks ago I would never have thought this could be possible."

Freitag showed his form recently by clearing 2.34m in a meeting in the Spanish city of Salamanca.

Other South Africans who could see the flag raised in their honour include the 800m pair of Hezekiel Sepeng and Mbulaeni Mulaudzi, the latter being chosen as the man to carry the flag in Friday's opening ceremony.

There is strength in depth in the men's 400m hurdles as well with Ockert Cilliers and Llewellyn Herbert standing third and fourth on this year's ranking lists.