Klerksdorp Record, Klerksdorp - The Paralympics are taking place in Paris with three locals representing South Africa in France.
Khumo Pitso will take part in T46 high jump, Liezel Gouws will compete in T37 200m, 400m and long jump and Lappies Swanepoel from Orkney is the main team manager for Team South Africa.
For these Games there are a record number of countries competing (168), a record number of para-athletes (4 400), a record number of female athletes (1 983) and a record number of events for females (235).
The chef de mission for Team SA, Patience Shikwambana, says that the figures show the necessary growth that females have made within the Paralympic movement. “If you consider that at the Sydney 2000 Paralympics there were 988 female athletes and that number has doubled to what it is in 2024 it highlights the way the Games have moved forward.
“We as Team SA are excited to play a significant role in the success of the Games and are excited to start our campaign. Everything is in place for a successful Games.”
At the last Paralympics in Tokyo, Team SA achieved seven medals, four of which were gold.
Two of those gold medals came from Ntando Mahlangu who is not in Paris this time around, while a third gold medallist from Tokyo, Anrune Weyers, has retired.
However, the fourth gold medallist, Pieter du Preez, is back in the hand-cycling event.
