Len Taunyane

Len Taunyane (1904)

Len Taunyane was a South African marathon runner who in 1904 at the Olympics participated. Together with Jan Mashiani , he was the first black Olympian from Africa.

Life

Taunyane belonged to the Batswana people . In the Boer War served Taunyane (1899-1902) together with Jan Mashiani as messengers under General Piet Cronje on the part of the Boers . He covered long distances under the most difficult conditions at high speed. In the battle of Paardeberg both were captured by the British together with Cronjé and interned in St. Helena . After the war ended, they returned to South Africa.

At the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis , Taunyane took part in an anthropology exhibition as a showman , incorrectly calling them Zulu dancers. At the same time Taunyane and Mashiani took part in performances of scenes from the Boer War, in which the Boer generals Cronjé and Viljoen also participated. After Taunyane and Mashiani had done well in a mile run , they were asked to participate in the marathon by the American organizers of the parallel Summer Olympics in St. Louis . This made them the first two black Olympians from Africa, while South Africa did not officially take part in the Olympic Games until 1908. Taunyane ran barefoot and finished ninth. Of the 31 starting runners, only 14 made it to the finish.

Web links

Len Taunyane in the Sports-Reference database (English; archived from the original )

Individual evidence

^ Susan Brownell (Ed.): The 1904 Anthropology Days and Olympic Games: Sport, Race, and American Imperialism . University of Nebraska Press, 2008, ISBN 9780803210981 , pp. 294f.
^ Bernth Lindfors: Early African Entertainments Abroad: From the Hottentot Venus to Africa's First Olympians . University of Wisconsin Pres, Madison 2014, ISBN 9780299301644 , p. 177.
↑ Melville Saayman (ed.): Introduction to Sports Tourism and Event Management . SUN MeDIA, Stellenbosch 2012, ISBN 9780987009623 pp. 51-52.

personal data
SURNAME	Taunyane, Len
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Taun, Len (misspelling); Lentauw (misspelling)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	South African marathon runner
DATE OF BIRTH	19th century
DATE OF DEATH	20th century

[1] Susan Brownell (Ed.): The 1904 Anthropology Days and Olympic Games: Sport, Race, and American Imperialism . University of Nebraska Press, 2008, ISBN 9780803210981 , pp. 294f.

[2] Bernth Lindfors: Early African Entertainments Abroad: From the Hottentot Venus to Africa's First Olympians . University of Wisconsin Pres, Madison 2014, ISBN 9780299301644 , p. 177.

[3] Melville Saayman (ed.): Introduction to Sports Tourism and Event Management . SUN MeDIA, Stellenbosch 2012, ISBN 9780987009623 pp. 51-52.