Burger Lambrechts
Encyclopedia
Burger Lambrechts is a South Africa
n shot put
ter.
He attended Laerskool Nelspruit, where he was head-boy in 1986 and Hoërskool Waterkloof
, where he was vice head-boy in 1991.
As far as tertiary education is concerned, Lambrechts attained a BSC (Genetics) from the University of Pretoria
in 1995 and a BA ("Biology") from Western Michigan University
in 1996.
His international career started with a fifteenth place at the 1992 World Junior Championships
. The following year he took his first national shot put title. In 1994 he threw past the 19 metre mark for the first time, with 19.06 metres achieved in April in his birth city. At his first World Championships, in 1997
, he reached the final and placed tenth. He only managed one valid throw. In 1998 he won the gold medal at the African Championships
with a throw of 19.78 metres. This was the best winning result since 1982, when Youssef Nagui Asaad threw 20.44 metres. In the same year he threw 20.01 metres when winning the Commonwealth Games held in Kuala Lumpur
, and 20.29 metres in Johannesburg
in September. Rarely competing in other athletics events, Lambrechts did throw 53.68 metres with the hammer
(1996) and 58.60 with the discus
(October 1998).
The following year Lambrechts led a South African clean sweep in the shot put at the All-Africa Games
while fellow South Africans (Frantz Kruger
, Chris Harmse
and Marius Corbett
) won the other three throwing events for men. Throwing 19.50 metres, this time Lambrechts beat the championship record of Youssef Nagui Asaad, which had stood at 19.48 since 1973
. He finished ninth at the World Championships
the same year, once again with only one valid throw in the final round. At the 2000 Summer Olympic
Lambrechts failed to reach the final for the first time in a worldwide event. He reportedly suffered a calf injury during the competition, but still managed to achieve a distance of 19.75 meter, with which he fell just 4 centimetres short of the place in the final, which ironically went to his compatriot Janus Robberts
, though Canada's Bradley Snyder was even closer with 19.77 metres.
In February 2001 Lambrechts established a new South African record with 20.90 metres in Port Elizabeth. After 2001 Lambrechts didn't compete for two years, but returned to win the gold medal at the 2003 All-Africa Games
, retaining the title he won four years earlier, and the silver medal at the African Championships
in July 2004. The same month he achieved a lifetime best throw of 20.63 metres in Pretoria, which ranks him second in Africa behind fellow South African Janus Robberts
. A month later he entered the 2004 Summer Olympics
. Managing only 18.67 metres, he placed fourth from the bottom. He has not competed internationally since.
In 2007, at a bodyweight of 135 kg, Lambrechts became the heaviest person ever to successfully complete the 250 kilometer Kalahari Augrabies Extreme Marathon
, an event billed as the toughest footrace in the world.
In 2008 the University of Pretoria
inducted Lambrechts into their Hall of Fame.
In 2010 Lambrechts made a return to athletics after an absence of five years and, at the age of 37, won the African Championships for the second time. His season's best performance in the shot put was 19,26 meters and in the discus 52,10 meters. He then also represented the African continent at the IAAF Continental Cup (previously known as the IAAF World Cup), where he ended 6'th. In doing so he set a new record for the longest span of appearances at the World Cup, namely 16 years (his first appearance was at the 1994 World Cup in London). The record was previously held by Tessa Sanderson
, who achieved a span of 15 years between her first and last appearance.
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n shot put
Shot put
The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" a heavy metal ball—the shot—as far as possible. It is common to use the term "shot put" to refer to both the shot itself and to the putting action....
ter.
He attended Laerskool Nelspruit, where he was head-boy in 1986 and Hoërskool Waterkloof
Hoërskool waterkloof
Hoërskool Waterkloof is an Afrikaans high school situated in the wealthy eastern suburbs of Pretoria, South Africa. It had grown to become the largest Afrikaans school in the world by 2004, with 2,200 pupils and 140 teachers. It is also one of the top schools in Pretoria and has been...
, where he was vice head-boy in 1991.
As far as tertiary education is concerned, Lambrechts attained a BSC (Genetics) from the University of Pretoria
University of Pretoria
The University of Pretoria is a multi campus public research university located in Pretoria, the administrative and de facto capital of South Africa...
in 1995 and a BA ("Biology") from Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University is a public university located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States. The university was established in 1903 by Dwight B. Waldo, and as of the Fall 2010 semester, its enrollment is 25,045....
in 1996.
His international career started with a fifteenth place at the 1992 World Junior Championships
1992 World Junior Championships in Athletics
The 1992 World Junior Championships in Athletics was the fourth edition of the international athletics competition for athletes aged 19 years or under. It was held in Seoul, South Korea from September 16 to September 20, 1992.-Men:-Women:-Medal table:...
. The following year he took his first national shot put title. In 1994 he threw past the 19 metre mark for the first time, with 19.06 metres achieved in April in his birth city. At his first World Championships, in 1997
1997 World Championships in Athletics
The 6th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held at the Olympic Stadium, Athens, Greece between August 1 and August 10, 1997. In this event participated 1882 athletes from 198 participant nations...
, he reached the final and placed tenth. He only managed one valid throw. In 1998 he won the gold medal at the African Championships
1998 African Championships in Athletics
The 11th African Championships in Athletics were held in Dakar, Senegal, from August 18 to August 22 in the Stade Leopold Senghor.-Track:-Field:-Track:-Field:-Medal table:-External links:* - GBR Athletics...
with a throw of 19.78 metres. This was the best winning result since 1982, when Youssef Nagui Asaad threw 20.44 metres. In the same year he threw 20.01 metres when winning the Commonwealth Games held in Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
, and 20.29 metres in Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
in September. Rarely competing in other athletics events, Lambrechts did throw 53.68 metres with the hammer
Hammer throw
The modern or Olympic hammer throw is an athletic throwing event where the object is to throw a heavy metal ball attached to a wire and handle. The name "hammer throw" is derived from older competitions where an actual sledge hammer was thrown...
(1996) and 58.60 with the discus
Discus throw
The discus throw is an event in track and field athletics competition, in which an athlete throws a heavy disc—called a discus—in an attempt to mark a farther distance than his or her competitors. It is an ancient sport, as evidenced by the 5th century BC Myron statue, Discobolus...
(October 1998).
The following year Lambrechts led a South African clean sweep in the shot put at the All-Africa Games
Athletics at the 1999 All-Africa Games
The seventh All-Africa Games were held in September 1999 in Johannesburg, South Africa. As the track is at an altitude of 1748 metres all performances are considered to be set at altitude, this is believed to assist events up to 400 metres and in the long jump and triple jump...
while fellow South Africans (Frantz Kruger
Frantz Kruger
Frantz Kruger is a South African born Finnish discus thrower who won the Olympic bronze medal in 2000. He is also a double African champion...
, Chris Harmse
Chris Harmse
Christiaan Harmse is a South African hammer thrower. He has broken the African record seven times, and holds the championship record for both the African Championships and All-Africa Games....
and Marius Corbett
Marius Corbett
Marius Corbett is a South African javelin thrower. He won a surprise gold medal at the 1997 World Championships in Athletics, improving his personal best with 4.50 m during the contest...
) won the other three throwing events for men. Throwing 19.50 metres, this time Lambrechts beat the championship record of Youssef Nagui Asaad, which had stood at 19.48 since 1973
1973 All-Africa Games
The 2nd All-Africa Games were played from January 7, 1973 to January 18, 1973 in Lagos, Nigeria.After the success of the first African Games, the organizing bodies awarded the second games to Bamako, Mali to be held in 1969. A military coup disrupted the plans and the organizers moved the games to...
. He finished ninth at the World Championships
1999 World Championships in Athletics
The 7th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held at the Estadio Olímpico, Seville, Spain, between the August 20 and August 29....
the same year, once again with only one valid throw in the final round. At the 2000 Summer Olympic
Athletics at the 2000 Summer Olympics
At the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, 46 events in athletics were contested, 24 for men and 22 for women. There were a total number of 2134 participating athletes from 193 countries.-Men's events:...
Lambrechts failed to reach the final for the first time in a worldwide event. He reportedly suffered a calf injury during the competition, but still managed to achieve a distance of 19.75 meter, with which he fell just 4 centimetres short of the place in the final, which ironically went to his compatriot Janus Robberts
Janus Robberts
Janus Robberts is a South African athlete who competes in the shot put, and occasionally discus throw. He is the current African record holder in shot put with 21.97 metres, and also a former junior world record holder...
, though Canada's Bradley Snyder was even closer with 19.77 metres.
In February 2001 Lambrechts established a new South African record with 20.90 metres in Port Elizabeth. After 2001 Lambrechts didn't compete for two years, but returned to win the gold medal at the 2003 All-Africa Games
Athletics at the 2003 All-Africa Games
-Track:-Field:-Track:-Field:-Medal table:-External links:*...
, retaining the title he won four years earlier, and the silver medal at the African Championships
2004 African Championships in Athletics
The 14th African Championships in Athletics were held in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo in July, 2004. Since African Championships is a biennial event, this edition was contested only a month before 2004 Summer Olympics. Thus some top athletes shunned the event...
in July 2004. The same month he achieved a lifetime best throw of 20.63 metres in Pretoria, which ranks him second in Africa behind fellow South African Janus Robberts
Janus Robberts
Janus Robberts is a South African athlete who competes in the shot put, and occasionally discus throw. He is the current African record holder in shot put with 21.97 metres, and also a former junior world record holder...
. A month later he entered the 2004 Summer Olympics
Athletics at the 2004 Summer Olympics - Men's shot put
The Shot Put events at the 2004 Summer Olympics were held on 18 August 2004 at the Ancient Olympia Stadium. It was originally planned to hold the discus throw at this venue, but it was discovered that the field was not large enough to accommodate the range of modern discus throwers, and would have...
. Managing only 18.67 metres, he placed fourth from the bottom. He has not competed internationally since.
In 2007, at a bodyweight of 135 kg, Lambrechts became the heaviest person ever to successfully complete the 250 kilometer Kalahari Augrabies Extreme Marathon
Kalahari Augrabies Extreme Marathon
The Kalahari Augrabies Extreme Marathon is a self-sufficient run over seven days, covering an approximate distance of . The event takes place in the Kalahari Desert in the proximity of the Augrabies Falls on the Orange River. The route traverses the Augrabies Falls National Park, private game...
, an event billed as the toughest footrace in the world.
In 2008 the University of Pretoria
University of Pretoria
The University of Pretoria is a multi campus public research university located in Pretoria, the administrative and de facto capital of South Africa...
inducted Lambrechts into their Hall of Fame.
In 2010 Lambrechts made a return to athletics after an absence of five years and, at the age of 37, won the African Championships for the second time. His season's best performance in the shot put was 19,26 meters and in the discus 52,10 meters. He then also represented the African continent at the IAAF Continental Cup (previously known as the IAAF World Cup), where he ended 6'th. In doing so he set a new record for the longest span of appearances at the World Cup, namely 16 years (his first appearance was at the 1994 World Cup in London). The record was previously held by Tessa Sanderson
Tessa Sanderson
Theresa Ione Sanderson CBE is a former British javelin thrower and heptathlete who competed in the javelin competition in every one of the six Olympics from 1976–1996 winning the Gold medal in 1984...
, who achieved a span of 15 years between her first and last appearance.