A poor showing in Beijing back in 2008 meant that Khotso Mokoena was the only South African with a reason to smile on the team’s return with a silver medal, earned in the men’s long jump, dangling around his neck.

This time  though there are indications that the journey to London will be worth the effort with several chances in different events.

Not only is Mokoena showing signs of reaching his peak as the Olympics – which officially starts tonight with a glittering opening ceremony – gets under way with a third place in the recent leg of the Diamond Series held in London as he hopes to go one  better and return with gold.

A  track athlete  capable of bagging an Olympic prize is 400m hurdler LJ van Zyl. The Pretoria-based runner followed up his fifth place finish in Beijing 2008 with a bronze medal at last year’s World Championships in Daegu.

Van Zyl – who also forms part of the 4x400m relay squad of Oscar Pistorius, Willie de Beer, Ofentse Magawane, Shaun de Jager and Cornel Fredericks – admitted that the nerves were there but so too was the excitement as the Games approach.

“I’m definitely nervous as are most of the athletes but I’m more excited than nervous. If I’m not ready by now then I’ll never be,” said Van Zyl. “I’m one of the most experienced guys in the team
now so I have to use that in my favour.

I’m on the blocks on the first day of the athletics so I have to set the example and run well.”

Another athlete who could make an impact in London is Olympic debutant Caster Semenya.

The 800m specialist will be in the spotlight tonight as she carries the South African flag at the opening ceremony, but on August 8 she will hope to set the track alight when she lines up in the heats.

Sunette Viljoen is another that could contribute to what will hopefully be a haul of South African medals by the time the athletics portion of the Games begins on August 3. The 28-year-old currently has the world’s best throw in the javelin with a heave of 69.35m  in New York recently.

“I’ve been training really hard and it’s all been coming together,” she said. “I had a really good series of throws in New York and I’m looking forward to the Games.

“It’s so nice to see that South Africa is behind us and I know what I’m capable of and what I’ve put in. I think if everything comes together then I will be in a position to win a medal for South Africa.”

With the intensity set to turn up a few notches after the pyrotechnics and theatrics of tonight’s opening ceremony, it is hoped that the spark ignites the abilities of the South African contingent as medals become a valued commodity.