Louzanne Coetzee and guide Estean Badenhorst of South Africa celebrate her silver medal at the Paralympics in Tokyo on Monday. Picture: Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images
Distance runner Louzanne Coetzee secured the SA team’s third medal on Monday morning, on day six of the Paralympic Games in Tokyo.
Competing in the women’s 1 500m final in the T11 class, for athletes who are completely blind, Coetzee took second place to bag the silver medal.
The 28-year-old athlete from Bloemfontein completed the race in 4:40.96 with her guide, Estean Badenhorst, breaking the African record.
Monica Rodriguez Saavedra of Mexico won gold in a world record of 4:37.40.
“I’m overwhelmed. I couldn’t have asked for a better race, a better guide or better preparation,” an emotional Coetzee said in tears.
“I’m very thankful for how everything went down.”
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Coetzee will compete again on Sunday when she is joined by her road-running guide, Claus Kempsen, in the marathon race.
Midway through day six of competition at the Games, the SA team had raked in two gold medals and one silver.
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