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Sporting Action
South African Paralympic Star Mpumelelo Mhlongo Lives Up To His Name
By Koketso Mamabolo
For sprint and long jump athlete Mpumelelo Mhlongo the Paralympic Games 2024 will certainly be one to remember. Most athletes would be happy with breaking just one world record - he broke two, in the T44 200m and the T44 long jump events, which by extension also gave him the Paralympic Games and African records. Mpumelelo, who was one of Team SA’s flag bearers along with swimmer Kat Swanepoel, took home two of South Africa’s six medals, winning gold in the T44 100m final and bronze in the T64 200m.
This isn’t the first time Mpumelelo, whose name means “success”, has set the Paralympic Games alight. At Tokyo 2020 he broke the T44 200m world record and set the Paralympic Games records for the T44 100m and long jump. He holds the 100m record. Earlier this year Mpumelelo was named Sportsman of the Year with a disability at both the SA Sports and Athletics South Africa awards ceremonies. What makes his achievements even more remarkable is that sprinters are usually at their peak between the ages of 25 and 27, but the 30-year old is showing no signs of slowing down.
In the field events, 19-year old discus thrower Simoné Kruger, the current world record holder and champion, won gold and broke the Paralympic Games record with an impressive 38.70m throw which was almost 5m further than the gold medal-winning throw from the Tokyo 2020 games.
The win was certainly one of many milestones Simoné will reach in a journey which has been on for around a decade, with the help of her father, who became her coach after the passing of long-time mentor Pierre Blignaut. Team SA, which placed 46th overall on the medals table, won bronze through middle distance runner Louzanne Coetzee, wheelchair tennis duo Lucas Sithole and Donald Ramphadi (who was nominated for Sportsman of the Year alongside Mpumelelo Mhlongo), and cyclist Pieter du Preez.
With the Olympics season over, attention now turns to the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, which will be held in the United Arab Emirates in October, the knockout rounds of the Currie Cup and the start of the popular UEFA Champions League competition. The Proteas Women have a tough road ahead through the opening rounds of the World Cup, opening their campaign against England and the West Indies, led by captain Laura Wolvaardt. Interim head coach Dillon du Preez will hope his charges, a mix of experience and fresh talent, will make their presence felt and continue South Africa’s run of sporting success.
After a nail-biting 3-2 win over South Sudan earlier this month, Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos will look to maintain the momentum they’ve gathered and take a step closer to qualifying for the next edition of the African Cup of Nations when they face the DRC in mid-October.
The Springboks need just one point from their two games against Argentina at the end of this month to clinch the Rugby Championship after close wins against New Zealand’s All Blacks which have started debates about whether or not this is the greatest rugby team of all time. On the local front the Bulls, Lions, Cheetahs and Sharks, representing four of South Africa’s big five rugby unions, will fight for a place in the final of the Currie Cup, one of the oldest competitions in the rugby world.
South Africa's Paralympic Medalists
Gold: Mpumelelo Mhlongo (Athletics)T44 100m, Simoné Kruger (Athletics)T38 Discus
Bronze: Mpumelelo Mhlongo (Athletics) - T64 200m, Louzanne Coetzee (Athletics) - T11 1 500m, Donald Ramphadi & Lucas Sithole (Wheelchair Tennis)Quad Doubles, Pieter du Preez (Cycling) - H1 Individual Time-Trial
South Africa's Record Breakers
World Records:
Mpumelelo Mhlongo, Athletics - T44 200m (22.62s),
Mpumelelo Mhlongo, Athletics - T44 Long Jump (7.12m)
Paralympic Records:
Mpumelelo Mhlongo, Athletics - T44 200m (22.62s),
Mpumelelo Mhlongo, Athletics - T44 Long Jump (7.12m),
Simoné Kruger, Athletics - T38 Discus (38.70m),
Puseletso Mabote, AthleticsT63 100m (12.05s)
African Records:
Mpumelelo Mhlongo, Athletics - T44 Long Jump (7.12m),
Tezna Abrahams, Athletics - T44 Long Jump: (4.46m),
Puseletso Mabote, Athletics - T63 Long Jump (6.44m),
Khumo Pitso, Athletics - T47 High Jump (1.98m)
Paul Daniels, Athletics - T64 100m (11.23s)
Christian Sadie, Swimming - S7 50m Freestyle (38.75s)
Christian Sadie, Swimming - S7 200m IM (2:35.02)
Christian Sadie - S7 50m Butterfly (29.94s)
Alani Ferreira - S12 100m Breaststroke (1:21.36)
Alani Ferreira - S12 400m Freestyle (4:55.98)
Kat Swanepoel - S5 50m Backstroke (49.63s)
Nathan Hendricks - SM13 200m IM (2:17.15)
What's On In September & October
Cricket:
Protea Men vs Afghanistan ODI Series - 18, 20 & 22 September
Proteas Women vs Pakistan T20 Series - 16, 18 & 20 September
ICC Women’s T20 World Cup:
Proteas Women vs England - 3 October
Proteas Women vs West Indies - 5 October
Proteas Women vs Scotland - 10 October
Proteas Women vs Bangladesh - 12 October
Football
AFCON Qualifying:
Bafana Bafana vs Congo - 7 & 15 October
Rugby
Currie Cup Playoffs:
Lions vs Cheetahs - 14 September
Bulls vs Sharks - 14 September
Rugby Championship:
Australia vs New Zealand - 21 & 28 September
Argentina vs Springboks - 21 & 28 September
