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Track athletes shine for Team SA at Tokyo Games
It was not a memorable day on court for the South African wheelchair tennis squad.
TOKYO, JAPAN – AUGUST 28: Puseletso Michael Mabote of South Africa, with a message to the Japanese people written on his prosthetic leg, in the mens long jump T63 final during the evening session of athletics on Day 4 of the Tokyo2020 Paralympic Games at the Olympic Stadium on August 28, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Roger Sedres/Gallo Images)
The nation’s track athletes led the charge on Sunday, producing the best performances by the SA team in preliminary-round contests on day five of the Tokyo Paralympic Games.
Middle-distance runner Louzanne Coetzee won her 1 500m heat in the T11 class, crossing the line in 4:49.24.
She was set to line up among the medal contenders in the final on Monday morning.
Mpumelelo Mhlongo and fellow sprinter Puseletso Mabote also kept their medal hopes alive, progressing to the finals of their respective events.
Mhlongo was third in his his T64 100m heat in 11.06 seconds, while Mabote was third in his T63 100m heat, setting an African record of 12.64.
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Daniel du Plessis, who clocked 11.72 in his T64 heat, and Tebogo Mofokeng, who set a T62 African record, finished seventh in their first-round 100m races, and they did not qualify for the finals.
Elsewhere, it was not a memorable day on court for the national wheelchair tennis squad.
In the women’s doubles quarter-finals, Kgothatso Montjane and Mariska Venter were eliminated by the British pairing of Lucy Shuker and Jordanne Whiley.
Evans Maripa put up a fight in the second set but ultimately lost 2-6 4-6 against Spanish opponent in the first round of the men’s singles competition.
After five days of competition, the SA team were lying 30th in the overall standings at the Tokyo Games, with two gold medals.
