Track athletes shine for Team SA at Tokyo Games

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.