South African Figure Skating Championships
The South African Figure Skating Championships are held annually to crown the national champions of South Africa. Skaters compete in men's singles, women's singles, pair skating, and ice dance at the senior, junior, and novice levels, although not every discipline is held every year due to a lack of participants. The event is organized by the South African Figure Skating Association, the sport's governing body.
"South Africa is making only its second international appearance in an Olympic-sanctioned sport since a 31-year ban on the country's athletes was lifted earlier this fall."
194 skaters competed in the 1991/92 South African championships; about 25% were black. "Sport in our country is going to play a major role to complement the political situation," said Daniel Mayo, the national organizer of South Africa's National and Olympic Sports Congress, who was also imprisoned on Robben Island with Nelson Mandela during the 1980s. Mayo acknowledged the irony of a white-dominated sport helping to dispel the influence of apartheid, but noted that ice skating was gaining popularity among black South Africans.