Paralympic world record holder says having his family there to witness his victory ‘is everything’
02 September 2024 - 13:39
byGary Lemke
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SA sprinter and record holder Mpumelelo Mhlongo celebrates having won the T44 100m in 11.12 sec to take gold in front of a packed Stade de France on Sunday night, September 1. Picture: ROGER SEDRES
Paris — SA has a new sporting hero.
Step forward Mpumelelo Mhlongo, who delivered the country’s first medal at the 2024 Paralympic Games.
Not only was he the first medallist but it was gold as he scorched to victory in the T44 100m final at Stade de France in Paris on Sunday night.
“I didn’t execute the race perfectly and at 60m I told myself ‘I have to wake up’. But it’s job done. We got the gold and hopefully the floodgates will open,” the 30-year-old Team SA athlete said.
Mhlongo, who lives and works in Johannesburg, came into the final as the favourite.
He delivered on that tag in front of an 80,000 crowd.
He led from start to finish in lane four to subdue the challenge thrown down by Cuban Yamel Vives Suarez and crossed the line in 11.12 sec.
Mhlongo holds the world record at 11.00 and admitted he had been in the type of form to scare that mark.
“I’ll take the gold though,” he said, draped in the SA flag.
Mhlongo had carried the flag in the opening ceremony as one of Team SA’s two flag-bearers. When hearing the national anthem being played loudly in front of the packed stadium he did a jig of joy, jumping up and down on the podium at the medal ceremony.
It was his moment. He had crouched in the blocks with the weight of expectation on his shoulders. The world record-holder was widely expected to win but expectation and delivery are two completely different things.
Mhlongo delivered, however, on the greatest stage in Paralympic sport.
“There is a difference on every occasion,” he said about his race. “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.”
On his preparations, he said: “It was a lot of hard work, dedication and listening to my coach. He would shout at me for not executing the race he wants. But the job is done and there are two more events to go.”
What happens next?
“It’s one step at a time. We did the 100 and got the job done. Time to recover and refocus as if it never happened and execute the plan we have been preparing for three years,” Mhlongo said.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Mpumelelo Mhlongo wins gold at Paralympics
Paralympic world record holder says having his family there to witness his victory ‘is everything’
Paris — SA has a new sporting hero.
Step forward Mpumelelo Mhlongo, who delivered the country’s first medal at the 2024 Paralympic Games.
Not only was he the first medallist but it was gold as he scorched to victory in the T44 100m final at Stade de France in Paris on Sunday night.
“I didn’t execute the race perfectly and at 60m I told myself ‘I have to wake up’. But it’s job done. We got the gold and hopefully the floodgates will open,” the 30-year-old Team SA athlete said.
Mhlongo, who lives and works in Johannesburg, came into the final as the favourite.
He delivered on that tag in front of an 80,000 crowd.
He led from start to finish in lane four to subdue the challenge thrown down by Cuban Yamel Vives Suarez and crossed the line in 11.12 sec.
Mhlongo holds the world record at 11.00 and admitted he had been in the type of form to scare that mark.
“I’ll take the gold though,” he said, draped in the SA flag.
Mhlongo had carried the flag in the opening ceremony as one of Team SA’s two flag-bearers. When hearing the national anthem being played loudly in front of the packed stadium he did a jig of joy, jumping up and down on the podium at the medal ceremony.
It was his moment. He had crouched in the blocks with the weight of expectation on his shoulders. The world record-holder was widely expected to win but expectation and delivery are two completely different things.
Mhlongo delivered, however, on the greatest stage in Paralympic sport.
“There is a difference on every occasion,” he said about his race. “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.”
On his preparations, he said: “It was a lot of hard work, dedication and listening to my coach. He would shout at me for not executing the race he wants. But the job is done and there are two more events to go.”
What happens next?
“It’s one step at a time. We did the 100 and got the job done. Time to recover and refocus as if it never happened and execute the plan we have been preparing for three years,” Mhlongo said.
How SA fared:
ARCHERY
Men’s individual W1, 1/8 stage: *9 Shaun Anderson beat *6 Tigit Aydin (Turkey) 133-132 (26-23, 51-50, 77-80, 104-106, 133-132)
Men’s individual W1, quarterfinal: *9 Shaun Anderson lost to *1 Tianxin Zhang (China) 136-134 (28-27, 56-55, 80-80, 108-107, 134-136)
ATHLETICS
Women’s 1,500m, T11 round one: Louzanne Coetzee finished 2nd in her heat in 4:45.25, a season’s best, to qualify for the final 2nd fastest
Women’s discus, F64 final: Yane van der Merwe didn’t measure a distance
Men’s 100m, T44 final: Gold: Mpumelelo Mhlongo won the gold medal in 11.12sec
Men’s high jump, T47 final: Khumo Pitso finished fifth with a best leap of 1.98m
Men’s 100m, T64 heats: Paul Daniels finished fourth in an area record 11.23sec and just missed out on the final, placing ninth overall
Men’s 100m, T64 heats: Daniel du Plessis finished seventh in his heat in 11.75 for 14th overall
Men’s 100m, T63 heats: Puseletso Mabote equalled the Paralympic record when he won his heat in 12.05sec to be fastest qualifier heading into the final
Women’s long jump, T37 final: Liezel Gouws finished eighth with a best leap of 3.62m
Wheelchair tennis
Men’s singles, second round: Alwande Sikhosana lost to Daisuke Arai (Japan) 6-1 6-0
Quad Doubles, semifinals: Daniel Ramphadi and Lucas Sithole lost to number 1 Sam Schroder and Niels Vink (Netherlands) 6-1 6-1
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