Mpumelelo Mhlongo calls himself “blessed” but rarely has someone deserved things to go his way as they did for the 30-year-old at the Paris 2024 Paralympics on Saturday night.
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If you held a secret poll among his team-mates as to who wins the title of “Mr Nice Guy” in this squad, he would be a clear winner.
Sixth medal for Team South Africa
Speaking of scooping titles, the man with the golden smile, picked up the bronze medal in the men’s T64 200m final, albeit with a dose of fortune at the Stade de France, in front of an electric crowd where he has knocked out two world records.
There was no luck however in the time he ran, a scorching 22.62 which originally placed him fourth as a T44 athlete among his T64 opponents.
However, minutes later it elevated him to third as German Feliz Strenge, who had crossed the line in second, was disqualified for stepping out of his lane eight.
A protest followed, but it was unsuccessful and the result stood.
Not only did Mpumelelo Mhlongo get promoted to third and bronze to go with the gold he won in the T44 100m, but his time was a fresh world record for the T44 class, breaking his existing mark of 22.81 set at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, three years ago.
Mpumelelo Mhlongo’s bronze medal also took Team SA’s overall count to six – two golds and four bronzes.
No long-term injury
Elsewhere, Collen Mahlalela was involved in T47 400m finals action where he was the third fastest qualifier.
His 48.65 in the heats was a personal best and the likelihood was that he’d have to mirror that run to have had a chance at the medals, in a race where the Moroccan pair of Ayoub Sadni and Aymane El Haddaoui looked the clear favourites.
The 27-year-old South African was competitive early on, but faded in the home straight after rounding the final bend in fourth.
He crossed the line in seventh, in 49.95 and afterwards was in a lot of pain in his legs as he went to be treated by medics. There is no long-term injury.
Simone Kruger took her spot on the top of the podium as she received her gold medal for the women’s F38 discus which she had won on Friday night in a Paralympic record distance of 38.70m.
It was the second time in either the Olympics or the Paralympics that the South African national anthem has been played in the Stade de France stadium.
The sole Team SA with work still to do is blind runner Louzanne Coetzee, the world record holder in the W11 marathon, who will take to the streets, and hills, of Paris as she attempts to add to the bronze medal she won in the 1 500m.
Swimmer Christian Sadie has had a busy time at these Games, with eight races in as many days. He was involved in his fourth final at the Paris La Defense Arena when taking the plunge in the men’s S7 50m butterfly. It is generally considered the 26-year-old’s best event and he again rose to the occasion.
In the morning Sadie had timed 30.23 and in the evening he carved 0.29 off that time for his third African record of the week, a 29.94, as the hot Ukrainian Andrii Trusov won in 28.75.
Gary Lemke is reporting live from Paris for the Team SA website for the duration of the Paris Olympics 2024
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