Itt was the year of wonderful Wayde. It was the year of Caster’s big-stage defiance. And it was the year of Temba and Kagiso. Sadly, too, it was the year the Springboks lost their swagger and the year the sports ministry waved the big stick.

Like a press conference by Fikile Mbalula or an AB de Villiers innings, South African sport is never dull.

The year was book-ended by two magnificent achievements – both by the same man.

The first, in January, saw Temba Bavuma become the first black African cricketer to score a Test ton for SA. For a country like ours, it was a moment shot through with powerful symbolism and meaning.

Making it all the sweeter was the possibility of Bavuma ramming his bat down Ben Stokes’ throat after the Englishman had sledged him – “you’re absolutely shit” – after he had edged a ball for four to go to eight.

Eleven months later Bavuma performed heroics of a vastly different kind, his spectacular run out of David Warner in the opening Test in Perth coming straight from the Cirque de Soleil playbook.

Warner had knocked the ball down the off side and dashed off for the single with Bavuma racing in from point. He dived, gathered the ball in his right hand, promptly fell through the air – all four limbs askance – and threw at the stumps. A whirr of action and, then, bang!

Even by the supreme standards of modern fielding, it was staggering; one of the iridescent moments of 2016.

From the splendour of Bavuma to the suffering of the Springboks, 2016 embraced every extreme. Allister Coetzee took charge in April, but it’s been a fraught partnership and the Boks were pounded like a journeyman boxer. In October they shipped 50 points to the All Blacks in Durban – the worst home defeat in Bok history – but worse was to come. Friggin’ Italy knocked them over like soft spaghetti last month and then Wales put them to the sword. There is so much to say about the Springboks, but as this is the festive season, it will remain unsaid for fear of giving rise to nausea or indigestion.

Much the same applies to the minister’s decision in April to cancel SA bids for hosting international events, putting a spanner in the works for a crack at the 2023 Rugby World Cup.

The only ray of light in an otherwise horror season was provided by the Lions who played with sass and style, proving that there can be a bolder, more brilliant method in SA rugby.

Brilliance was best exemplified by Wayde van Niekerk who transformed years of excellence into Olympic gold and a world record. Has there ever been a more thrilling 43.03 seconds?

“It was as if he had wings on his heels in the last 50m,” said the amazed commentator, speaking for us all.

Rio provided an explosion of stories. Chad Le Clos fell just short, but his Muhammad Ali shuffle before a visibly peeved Michael Phelps was pure comedy. Phelps, though, produced the vital KO.

What of Francois Hougaard, who so generously handed his bronze medal for Sevens to Seabelo Senatla, who somehow didn’t qualify to receive a medal? Senatla was stunned. Happily, the IOC did the right thing and ensured that both went home with a medal.

As did Ntando Mahlangu, who captured silver in the 200m at the Paralympics at the tender age of 14. His wonderful smile was reward for us all.

The Caster Semenya story predictably blew up, but she ran beautifully to capture gold, validating her efforts through years of slog and criticism.

The often grim soccer environment was boosted by Sundowns winning the African championship, giving lie to the claim that we should bow down to our supposedly superior African counterparts. The mystery is how such successes continue to occur in isolation.

Local cycling had its good fortune, too, as Team Dimension Data won seven stages of the Tour de France in July, a majestic feat for the newbies of the peloton.

If the year started fast, it ended even faster. Moto 3 ace Brad Binder won the world championship. Like so much of South African sport, it came against the odds and made us swell with pride.

Roll on 2017. – © Sunday Tribune