Ntando Mahlangu leads Team South Africa’s Paralympians in medal haul

First published in the Daily Maverick 168 weekly newspaper.

Sprinter Anruné Weyers and paracyclist Pieter du Preez won gold medals, while there was a silver for 1,500m runner Louzanne Coetzee and a bronze for Sheryl James (T37 400m).

Mahlangu picked up a surprising gold in the men’s T63 long jump with a leap of 7.17m and then added the T61 200m title to his already bulging set of accomplishments.

He’s only just turned 19 and is still in his matric year at Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool (Affies) in Pretoria. He really does have the world at his feet, or in his case, at the end of his blades.

It continued his upward trajectory that was obvious in Rio five years ago when he won a 200m silver as a 14-year-old. He has also clocked an incredible 1:43.31 in the 800m, which would be enough to have made the able-bodied men’s final at the Tokyo Olympics.

There is little doubt that in time there will be calls for the youngster to compete against able-bodied athletes, although that comes with massive scrutiny and debate over the advantages or not of prosthetic limbs.

For now, Mahlangu is top of the pile as a para-athlete and a huge talent in his disciplines. He also showed tremendous temperament on his way to the long-jump gold because it was an event he only recently took up.

“When we chatted about the jump before, we talked about it being ‘a naughty medal’,” Johan Snyders, who designs Mahlangu’s blades, said. “It was never ... our [intention] to come to Tokyo and jump because the impact on his body is so much.

“But you also need to occupy the time … in the 200m he is so dominant in that field, we needed him to be challenged, so we approached Neil [Cornelius], who is a very technical long-jump coach and explained to him the kinematics. He and Ntando did the rest.

“We always knew we had an outside chance for a medal but that last jump was ... phenomenal.”

In the final against more experienced opponents, Mahlangu was in bronze medal position at the start of the final round of six jumps. He had already gone 55cm past his personal best. It was his moment.

“Before the last jump I checked with my coach,” Mahlangu said after the competition. “He said that I should just stop what I’m doing and jump, but he told me in a straight way. I knew it was now or never. I was calm. I knew ... I’d give it my best. I said a prayer, ‘If this is the time, let’s do it … if not, we take the next event.’ I think I was answered.” 

Sprinter Anruné Weyers of South Africa wins the women’s 400m T47 final during the evening session of athletics on day four of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games at the Olympic Stadium on 28 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo: Roger Sedres / Gallo Images)

Ernst van Dyk of South Africa during the road cycling event on day seven of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games at the Fuji International Stadium on 31 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo: Team South Africa)