The sprinter, Mpumelelo Mhlongo, has won South Africa’s first gold medal at the 2024 Paralympic Games taking place in Paris.
Mhlongo ran a season’s best time to win the men’s 100m T44 final on Sunday night for the country’s first medal at the 2024 Paralympics.
Mhlongo won the race in 11.12 seconds to beat Cuba’s Luis Yamel Vives Suares by 0.08 seconds for the gold. Eddy Bernard of the USA took the bronze medal in 11.58 seconds to round off the podium.
Mhlongo said being able to win the gold with his family present made the victory even more special.
“There is a difference on every occasion,” said Mhlongo.
“This time, with my wife in the stands, my mother here for the first time ever, and my mother-in-law. Having my family here is everything I could have asked for.
“It’s one step at a time. We did the 100 and got the job done. Now time to recover and refocus as if it never happened, and execute the plan that we have been preparing for three years.”
Meanwhile, on Monday morning at 10:11 Louzanne Coetzee will be running in the won’s 1500m T11 final after finishing second fastest in the heats on Sunday morning. The 31-year-old from Bloemfontein will be looking to add to her silver medal in the event she won at the Tokyo Games.
Morgan Piek
