U.S. OLYMPIC FESTIVAL LOS ANGELES 1991 : NOTEBOOK : South African Gymnasts Going to Worlds

South Africa will send two gymnasts to compete in the 1991 World Gymnastics Championships, Sept. 6-15 at Indianapolis, meet organizers are expected to announce today.

The South African Amateur Gymnastics Union will send a man and a woman to the championships, marking the country’s return to competition for the first time since the International Olympic Committee lifted its ban this month.

The gymnastics championships could also be the first time that South Africa has sent athletes to any international competition since it was reinstated, although that possibly will come at the track and field World Championships Aug. 24-Sept. 1 at Tokyo.

On Thursday, the International Amateur Athletic Federation, the governing body for track and field, extended a provisional invitation to South Africa to participate in the meet. South Africa is expected to announce Wednesday if it will send athletes to Tokyo.

The IOC banned South Africa from international competition 21 years ago because of its apartheid policy.

South Africa’s return to gymnastics competition is simpler because the country’s gymnastics federation was never barred from membership in the International Gymnastics Federation. Although South Africa has remained an FIG member, it voluntarily chose not to compete internationally in the sport until the IOC ban was lifted.