Two South Africans - Marcello Fiasconaro 1973 / Hezekiel Sepeng 1996. Produced by Kevin Harris -2018

On the 24th April 1973 Marcello Fiasconaro - the wonder-boy from Cape Town - equaled the South African record for the 800 meters.
Two months later, on the 27th June 1973 - at age 24 - he broke the world record for the 800 meters in Milan, Italy.
A legend in his lifetime & revered in Italy, Marcello’s world record for the 800 meters stood for ten years.
His Italian record for the 800 meters still stands today.
Marcello’s South African record stood for 25 years and was finally broken on the world stage a generation later - by Hezekiel Sepeng at age 22 heading a new wave of South African athletes.
On the 1st August 1996, Hezekiel Sepeng, became the first Black South African ever - representing his country South Africa - to win an Olympic medal when he took silver in the 800 meters at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.
For Hezekiel - the young farm boy from Boskop - his triumph was the euphoric climax to a determination & destiny that saw his brilliance on the track win hearts & minds and overturn entrenched racist prejudice.
For South Africa his triumph brought confirmation of a new dawn where black and white athletes could finally compete on the world stage as South Africans representing their country - the new free & democratic South Africa.
Two South Africans is the combined life’s journey of Marcello Fiasconaro and Hezekiel Sepeng - two South African world champions - told against the tortured backdrop of South Africa’s begrudging & grinding climb from the dark days of Apartheid to the afterglow of a new free and democratic post-1994 South Africa.

[@bruce8554]

A truly enjoyable and comprehensive documentary, well done. Few may recall that March ran the invitational mile (his first and probably only mile) at the 1973 inaugural Vernon Barnes meeting at UPE, to open the 2nd tartan track in South Africa (after Pildich)... an extremely windy day, as only P.E. can be, won by Hendrik Smit in 4.07... March was 3rd in around 4.13-ish, if memory serves. He was a great sport about it... full of fun.

[@henniebester9437]

What a find ! March was my hero when he beat Danie Malan at Pilditch Stadium in the SA Champs. He watched me at a school practice quite a few years later and gave me a few tips…

[@MegaSpiritualWarrior]

Beautiful story! Growing up in apartheid SA I always wanted to be a sportsman. I particularly loved soccer, which I played in primary school. But when I got high school I was forced to play rugby and had to abandon soccer. Although I enjoyed playing rugby, soccer was my first love, and it broke my heart that I couldn't play the sport that I loved. I suppose it wasn't meant to be. Ironically, I currently live in the greatest footballing nation on earth, Brazil.

[@lolakepi]

Greetings from France