Team South Africa will leave the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow with a total of 40 medals, just three short of their target of 43.
They have, however, claimed the most gold medals since re-admission in 1994. The South Africans finished in seventh place on the overall standings with 13 gold medals.
Cyclist, Ashleigh Moolman, won South Africa’s first road race medal when she bagged bronze after a dramatic finish on Sunday morning. The 98.1 kilometre race got off to an aggressive start as Australia launched several attacks through the streets of Glasgow.
With around 40km to go, England’s Emma Pooley led a breakaway, which included South Africa’s Moolman. At the 11 and a half kilometre mark, Pooley pulled away from the pack in the pouring rain.
Six kilometres from the finish, Pooley’s compatriot, Lizzy Armitstead, launched her attack and took the lead in a brilliant execution of Team England’s tactics. Armitstead eventually crossed the line in a time of two hours 38 minutes and 43 seconds, with Pooley finishing 25 seconds later.
A photo finish saw Moolman narrowly edging Australia’s Tiffany Cromwell for bronze following a dramatic sprint to the line.
Meanwhile, world number one, Australia, won the netball gold medal. The Aussies defeated New Zealand 54-40 in the final. The Australians also walked away with gold in the men’s hockey final. The Kookaburras beat India 4-0.