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"contents": "<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games came to a close on Sunday with South Africa raking in six medals, placing it 46th on the medals table. China, with a staggering 220 medals, topped the standings. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">South Africa’s medal tally is the lowest ever, creeping below the seven medals collected in Tokyo three years ago. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mpumelelo Mhlongo (T44 100m) and Simoné Kruger (T38 discus) brought home gold medals for South Africa.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mhlongo had a terrific time in Paris. Apart from his blistering gold medal that he claimed in 11.12 seconds, he also claimed a bronze in the 200m T64 in 22.62 seconds, a T44 world record. </span>\r\n\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2356753\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/TL_2257237-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1649\" /> <em>Mpumelelo Mhlongo of South Africa after the final of the men's 200m T64 in which he won the bronze medal, on day 10 of the 2024 Paris Paralympics Games at Stade de France on 7 September. (Photo: Roger Sedres / Gallo Images)</em></p>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The multitalented athlete went on to claim a world record in the T44 long jump with a leap of 7.12m in the final, but his record-breaking performance was only good enough for fifth place. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kruger’s T38 discus win also came in a world record of 38.7m, an uber impressive feat by the 19-year-old, who will only get better with age.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">South Africa collected a total of four bronze medals to accompany the two golds.</span>\r\n\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2356738\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/2170192229-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" /> <em>Lucas Sithole (right) and Donald Ramphadi of South Africa during their match against Leandro Pena and Ymanitu Silva of Brazil in the Men's Quad Wheelchair Tennis Doubles Bronze medal match on day seven of the Paralympic Games at Roland Garros on 4 September 2024. (Photo: Daniel Kopatsch / Getty Images)</em></p>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pieter du Preez (H1 individual time trial), Louzanne Coetzee (T11 1,500m) as well as Donald Ramphadi and Lucas Sithole (wheelchair tennis Quad doubles) along with Mhlongo’s bronze took the tally up to six medals.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ramphadi and Sithole’s victory over Brazil’s Leandro Pena and Ymanitu Silva ensured they became the first Africans to claim a Paralympic wheelchair tennis medal.</span>\r\n<h4><b>Missing athletes</b></h4>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">South Africa’s lower-than-expected medal return from the Paralympic Games was partly due to some misfortune.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">South Africa’s star athlete at the Tokyo Paralympic Games three years ago, Ntando Mahlangu – who collected two golds and a silver then – was not in Paris.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This was after the 22-year-old’s favoured event, the men’s T61 200m race, was not included in the programme in Paris. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mahlangu also failed to meet the qualifying distance to reach the Games in the long jump, despite being the reigning Paralympic champion. A car accident ensured he could not participate at all. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite the setback, Mahlangu is still in his early 20s and has a few more potential Paralympic Games ahead.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While not a favourite for the gold, a spot on the podium would not have been unimaginable for South Africa’s tennis star Kgothatso Montjane, who </span><a href=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2024-09-04-kgothatso-montjanes-paralympic-dream-shattered-as-personal-tragedy-forces-her-exit/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">withdrew from the Games after the untimely death of her mother</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.</span>\r\n<h4><b>Swimming</b></h4>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">South Africa’s two medal hopefuls in the pool, Kat Swanepoel and Christian Sadie, were both unfortunate to not medal in Paris, for different reasons. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sadie made the final of all four of his events – 50m butterfly S7, 50m freestyle S7, 100m backstroke S7 and 200m individual medley SM7 – finishing fifth in three of them and seventh in the 50m freestyle. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“Last time I think I got three out of five, so I’m happy with 100% of the finals,” the 26-year-old said. “Now I’m just looking forward to another four years of hard work and coming back again.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> </span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“The first time I went (to the Paralympics) it was the first experience, this time we’ve come and we’ve done better, learned from those mistakes, and I think we have a lot more to learn going forward, so I’m super-excited.”</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Swanepoel, one of South Africa’s opening ceremony flag bearers, was classed up from S4 to S5 just prior to the Games.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to Team SA swimming coach in Paris, Theo Verster, South Africa’s medal tally would have had a substantial boost had the change not happened.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“That was three definite medals that we could have got,” Verster said. “And then there were about two or three swimmers that were very close but didn’t convert into medals.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> </span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“But I think with the young team we have, the swimmers have performed really well and I am really pleased with their performances.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> </span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“We would have loved to have brought medals back for South Africa, but at the end of the day… we’ve shown that Para swimming is on the right track for the future.” </span><b>DM</b>",
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"description": "<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games came to a close on Sunday with South Africa raking in six medals, placing it 46th on the medals table. China, with a staggering 220 medals, topped the standings. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">South Africa’s medal tally is the lowest ever, creeping below the seven medals collected in Tokyo three years ago. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mpumelelo Mhlongo (T44 100m) and Simoné Kruger (T38 discus) brought home gold medals for South Africa.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mhlongo had a terrific time in Paris. Apart from his blistering gold medal that he claimed in 11.12 seconds, he also claimed a bronze in the 200m T64 in 22.62 seconds, a T44 world record. </span>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2356753\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"2560\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-2356753\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/TL_2257237-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1649\" /> <em>Mpumelelo Mhlongo of South Africa after the final of the men's 200m T64 in which he won the bronze medal, on day 10 of the 2024 Paris Paralympics Games at Stade de France on 7 September. (Photo: Roger Sedres / Gallo Images)</em>[/caption]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The multitalented athlete went on to claim a world record in the T44 long jump with a leap of 7.12m in the final, but his record-breaking performance was only good enough for fifth place. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kruger’s T38 discus win also came in a world record of 38.7m, an uber impressive feat by the 19-year-old, who will only get better with age.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">South Africa collected a total of four bronze medals to accompany the two golds.</span>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2356738\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"2560\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-2356738\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/2170192229-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" /> <em>Lucas Sithole (right) and Donald Ramphadi of South Africa during their match against Leandro Pena and Ymanitu Silva of Brazil in the Men's Quad Wheelchair Tennis Doubles Bronze medal match on day seven of the Paralympic Games at Roland Garros on 4 September 2024. (Photo: Daniel Kopatsch / Getty Images)</em>[/caption]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pieter du Preez (H1 individual time trial), Louzanne Coetzee (T11 1,500m) as well as Donald Ramphadi and Lucas Sithole (wheelchair tennis Quad doubles) along with Mhlongo’s bronze took the tally up to six medals.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ramphadi and Sithole’s victory over Brazil’s Leandro Pena and Ymanitu Silva ensured they became the first Africans to claim a Paralympic wheelchair tennis medal.</span>\r\n<h4><b>Missing athletes</b></h4>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">South Africa’s lower-than-expected medal return from the Paralympic Games was partly due to some misfortune.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">South Africa’s star athlete at the Tokyo Paralympic Games three years ago, Ntando Mahlangu – who collected two golds and a silver then – was not in Paris.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This was after the 22-year-old’s favoured event, the men’s T61 200m race, was not included in the programme in Paris. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mahlangu also failed to meet the qualifying distance to reach the Games in the long jump, despite being the reigning Paralympic champion. A car accident ensured he could not participate at all. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite the setback, Mahlangu is still in his early 20s and has a few more potential Paralympic Games ahead.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While not a favourite for the gold, a spot on the podium would not have been unimaginable for South Africa’s tennis star Kgothatso Montjane, who </span><a href=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2024-09-04-kgothatso-montjanes-paralympic-dream-shattered-as-personal-tragedy-forces-her-exit/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">withdrew from the Games after the untimely death of her mother</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.</span>\r\n<h4><b>Swimming</b></h4>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">South Africa’s two medal hopefuls in the pool, Kat Swanepoel and Christian Sadie, were both unfortunate to not medal in Paris, for different reasons. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sadie made the final of all four of his events – 50m butterfly S7, 50m freestyle S7, 100m backstroke S7 and 200m individual medley SM7 – finishing fifth in three of them and seventh in the 50m freestyle. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“Last time I think I got three out of five, so I’m happy with 100% of the finals,” the 26-year-old said. “Now I’m just looking forward to another four years of hard work and coming back again.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> </span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“The first time I went (to the Paralympics) it was the first experience, this time we’ve come and we’ve done better, learned from those mistakes, and I think we have a lot more to learn going forward, so I’m super-excited.”</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Swanepoel, one of South Africa’s opening ceremony flag bearers, was classed up from S4 to S5 just prior to the Games.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to Team SA swimming coach in Paris, Theo Verster, South Africa’s medal tally would have had a substantial boost had the change not happened.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“That was three definite medals that we could have got,” Verster said. “And then there were about two or three swimmers that were very close but didn’t convert into medals.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> </span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“But I think with the young team we have, the swimmers have performed really well and I am really pleased with their performances.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> </span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“We would have loved to have brought medals back for South Africa, but at the end of the day… we’ve shown that Para swimming is on the right track for the future.” </span><b>DM</b>",
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Mpumelelo Mhlongo of South Africa after the final of the men's 200m T64 in which he won the bronze medal, on day 10 of the 2024 Paris Paralympics Games at Stade de France on 7 September. (Photo: Roger Sedres / Gallo Images)
Lucas Sithole (right) and Donald Ramphadi of South Africa during their match against Leandro Pena and Ymanitu Silva of Brazil in the Men's Quad Wheelchair Tennis Doubles Bronze medal match on day seven of the Paralympic Games at Roland Garros on 4 September 2024. (Photo: Daniel Kopatsch / Getty Images)