Zola Budd’s Father Found Slain at South Africa Home

The father of South African-born track star Zola Budd, who was involved in a dramatic collision with Mary Decker Slaney in the 1984 Olympics, was found shot dead today at his home near Bloemfontein.

Police said they believe that Frank Budd, 56, was murdered.

A neighbor broke open the door of Budd’s farmhouse and found him sprawled on his bed with two shotgun wounds in his left shoulder and side, police Maj. Marius Bondhuys said in Pretoria.

He said that police found two shotgun cartridges near the body and that Budd’s shotgun and white pickup truck were missing.

“Murder is definitely suspected, but nothing else was missing, and the motive appears not to have been robbery,” Bondhuys said.

Last month long-distance runner Zola Budd, 23, who tried to evade anti-apartheid boycotts by taking British citizenship in 1984, was barred from international competition by taking part in a race in Bloemfontein.

That ended a controversial career during which she was dogged by anti-apartheid protests. She will be remembered most for an incident in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics when she and Slaney became entangled and fell in the 3,000 meters when both where battling for the gold medal.