Today in SA sports history: January 12

1985 — Marlene Boshoff wins the first women’s K1 crown at the Dusi Canoe Marathon, with the fairer sex finally allowed to compete on their own as long as they had male paddlers accompanying them on the water. John Edmonds, 24, won the first of his four men’s titles, beating 11-time winner Graeme Pope-Ellis into second.

1999 — Alfie Cox on a KTM wins the 11th stage of the Dakar Rally, a 539km trek from Timbuktu to Néma in Mauritania, which he completed in 6hr 04 min 56 sec, a mere three minutes and 16 seconds in front of Finn Kari Tiainen. It was his second stage win of the trans-African odyssey, in which he finished third overall in the motorcycle category...