Mpumelelo Mhlongo went into the T44 100-meters final at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games filled with self-belief having claimed the World Championship title in the last two years, and he delivered a first gold medal for South Africa.
Medals for Africa as a continent have been hard to come by at the Games so far with Namibia’s Lahja Ishitile taking gold in the women’s T11 400-m and Algeria leading the way with two golds and two bronze.
But the sprint events are always marquee and the 30-year-old Mhlongo is a superstar, adding to his already sky-high reputation with Olympic gold.
He lives with constriction ring syndrome and club foot, but despite this, has excelled on the track, and now on the biggest stage available to him.
He won gold in a time of 11.12 seconds, edging Yamel Vives Suares of Cuba (11.20s) to first place.
Loading...
“I didn’t execute as well as I could have. I think the whole atmosphere got to me. And almost at 60 meters, I had to wake up and say, ‘hey, I need to finish this race properly’,” Mhlongo said.
“I think my coach (Jason Sewanyana) made it simple. He said ‘don’t feel any pressure, it’s my plan, you just go out and execute. What has happened before doesn’t mean that the gold is guaranteed for you, but fight for it to the last step’, and that’s what I did.”
Mhlongo, who is also a chemical engineering PhD student at the University of Cape Town, felt the support of his family in Paris.
“With my wife in the stands, my mother for the first time ever, my mother-in-law. Having my family here is everything I could have asked for,” he said.
Mhlongo may not be done yet, he will also compete in the 200m and the long jump, though in both cases against athletes who are allowed to use prostheses, which will give them an advantage in the competition.
“We’ve got huge plans at the very least, two more events. My coach says ‘at least one record’. So let me make sure that I make my coach proud.”
Loading...