Athens - A billboard outside the Olympic Stadium declares: "Impossible is Nothing".
Mbulaeni Mulaudzi proved that without doubt when he stunned the world's best 800 metre runners with an incredible silver medal at the Athens Olympics on Saturday night.
While Hestrie Cloete battled out an intense high jump final, Mulaudzi ran the race of his life to outkick world record holder Wilson Kipketer at the line for his silver medal in a season's best 1min 44.61sec.
"This is something I've prayed for," said an ecstatic Mulaudzi.
"The race went as planned. I knew I had to run as fast as I can. It was a very tough race with lots of pushing and shoving.
"But coming to my first Olympics and winning a silver is an incredible thing for me, especially because there's lots of pressure from home."
Hezekiel Sepeng, who ran sixth, was full of praise for Mulaudzi.
"Immediately after Zurich Mulaudzi wanted to go home," said Sepeng. "I said to him don't be a coward. Don't lose one race and give up. You don't want to sit at home and watch this on TV.
"He might not be in the same shape as me and the other guys physically, but he runs with his head. Man, that guy is mentally very strong."
Mulaudzi came so close to gold. He lost his footing in a clash with Kipketer as he put in a gut-wrenching sprint for gold on the inside that gave Russia's Yuriy Borzakovskiy a clear path for the win on the outside in 1:44.45.
Sepeng, the silver-medal Olympic winner in Atlanta 1996, simply did not have the legs to challenge at the end and he trailed favourite Wilfred Bungei of Kenya for sixth in 1:45.53.
Sepeng was happy to have made the final, but he said he seemed to have lost the hunger for glory - not so Mulaudzi who surprised himself in his miraculous comeback from injury only a month ago.
The 24-year-old came to Athens filled with stress after a dismal race in Zurich where he trailed the field.
He spent an intense two weeks in the Olympic Village, where Sepeng and coach Ian Harries spent many hours working on his confidence.
After a tough 800m campaign during the past week, Mulaudzi ran with incredible confidence and strength.
He put the pressure on from behind front-runners Bungei, Kipketer and Morocco's Mousin Chehibi, then took the race to them with 200m to go.
Mulaudzi's focus was on Kipketer and Bungei down the main straight as he fought them off from the inside and so fierce was his focus that he didn't see Borzakovskiy surging on the outside.
The terrier-like athlete, who won the world indoor title in March and the Commonwealth Games gold in Manchester last year, clashed with Kipketer 10 metres from the line and stumbled.
He managed to hold his footing, but without proper balance he lacked the kick to edge ahead of the Russian for the gold.
