Sprinter Charl du Toit earned two gold medals at the Rio Paralympics
The national para-athletics team delivered in style by carrying the SA squad at the Paralympic Games in Rio.
Taking the baton from the able-bodied team, which contributed four of the nation’s 10 medals at last month’s Olympics, the track and field squad bagged 15 of the country’s 17 medals at the Paralympics, which came to a close on Sunday.
Four athletes earned two medals each at the Games, with Charl du Toit bagging double gold in the 100m and 400m T37 sprint events, Hilton Langenhoven earning gold in the T12 long jump and silver in the 200m dash, Dyan Buis pocketing gold in the 400m T38 final and bronze in the long jump, and Ilse Hayes scooping silver in the 100m and 400m T13 finals.
Among the other standout performers were Ernst van Dyk, who finished sixth in the T54 wheelchair marathon at his seventh straight Paralympics after securing gold in the H5 road cycling race, flag bearer Zanele Situ, who returned to the podium for the first time in 12 years with bronze in the F54 javelin throw, and 14-year-old speedster Ntando Mahlangu who grabbed silver in the 200m T42 final.
The SA team finished 22nd overall in the Rio medals table with seven gold, six silver and four bronze.
SA track and field medallists at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio:
Gold
Charl du Toit – men’s 100m T37; 400m T37
Dyan Buis – men’s 400m T38
Hilton Langenhoven – men’s long jump F12
Reinhardt Hamman – men’s javelin throw F38
Silver
Ilse Hayes – women’s 100 T13; 400m T13
Jonathan Ntutu – men’s 100m T12
Ntando Mahlangu – men’s 200m T42
Hilton Langenhoven – men’s 200m T12
Anrune Liebenberg – women’s 400m T47
Bronze
Fanie van der Merwe – men’s 100m T37
Dyan Buis – men’s long jump F38
Tyrone Pillay – men’s shot put F42
Zanele Situ – women’s javelin throw F54