Sithole, Ramphadi add to Team SA’s Paralympic medals
South Africans win wheelchair tennis bronze in Paris
04 September 2024 - 18:03
by Marc Strydom
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Donald Ramphadi and Lucas Sithole celebrate winning the bronze medal match on Wednesday. Picture: REUTERS
Donald Ramphadi and Lucas Sithole have made history as the first South Africans to win a medal in wheelchair tennis at the Paralympics, winning a thrilling bronze medal match 6-2 4-6 10-8 against Brazil’s Ymanitu Silva and Leandro Pena.
Sithole, who at the age of 12 had a horrific train accident that left him a triple amputee, became the first African to win the US Open wheelchair title, beating David Wagner of the US in the final in 2013.
He added the Australian Open doubles title, with Wagner, in 2016.
The Team SA website says Ramphadi became the first South African in both able-bodied and wheelchair categories to win at the French Open in decades.
Their win brings Team SA’s medal tally to four, a gold and three bronze.
Earlier hand-cyclist Pieter du Preez won bronze in the men’s H1 individual time trial.
He negotiated the 14.1km course in 36min 07.05sec, finishing behind Italian Fabrizio Cornegliani (34:50.45) and Maxime Hordies of Belgium (35:11.13).
There were two African records in the pool, but no medals for SA on Tuesday,
SA’s two other medalsare Mpumelelo Mhlongo’s T44 100m gold and Louzanne Coetzee’s T11 1,500m silver.
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.
Sithole, Ramphadi add to Team SA’s Paralympic medals
South Africans win wheelchair tennis bronze in Paris
Donald Ramphadi and Lucas Sithole have made history as the first South Africans to win a medal in wheelchair tennis at the Paralympics, winning a thrilling bronze medal match 6-2 4-6 10-8 against Brazil’s Ymanitu Silva and Leandro Pena.
Sithole, who at the age of 12 had a horrific train accident that left him a triple amputee, became the first African to win the US Open wheelchair title, beating David Wagner of the US in the final in 2013.
He added the Australian Open doubles title, with Wagner, in 2016.
The Team SA website says Ramphadi became the first South African in both able-bodied and wheelchair categories to win at the French Open in decades.
Their win brings Team SA’s medal tally to four, a gold and three bronze.
Earlier hand-cyclist Pieter du Preez won bronze in the men’s H1 individual time trial.
He negotiated the 14.1km course in 36min 07.05sec, finishing behind Italian Fabrizio Cornegliani (34:50.45) and Maxime Hordies of Belgium (35:11.13).
There were two African records in the pool, but no medals for SA on Tuesday,
SA’s two other medals are Mpumelelo Mhlongo’s T44 100m gold and Louzanne Coetzee’s T11 1,500m silver.
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