Johannesburg, South Africa (SportsNetwork.com) - Former world 800-meter champion Mbulaeni Mulaudzi of South Africa died in a car accident Friday. He was 34.
Mulaudzi won a silver medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics. He captured gold at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin.
"The nation has lost a true hero and one of our most disciplined and talented athletes who flew the South African flag across the sporting globe," South African President Jacob Zuma said. "We wish to convey, on behalf of government and the entire country, our heartfelt condolences to his family, ASA, the South African sports fraternity and the International Olympics Committee. May his soul rest in peace."
Mulaudzi didn't compete at any other global championships after 2009. His final competitive appearance came in 2013 when he came in fourth at the Diamond League meeting in New York.