[imagesource: Dean Mouhtarapoulos / Getty Images]

South Africa only had one gold medal to celebrate at the Tokyo Olympics.

What a gold it was, though.

We’re already faring better in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, which started on August 24 and runs through until September 5.

In the men’s T63 long jump, Ntando Mahlangu claimed gold with a leap of 7,17 metres, breaking his own world record in the process.

Mahlangu was born with tibial hemimelia, a very rare disease, and in 2012 made the decision to amputate both legs.

Nine years later, and after winning silver in Rio in the men’s T42 200-metre race, he has his first gold thanks to this spectacular leap:

ICYMI:

Ntando Mahlangu’s World Record breaking leap 🏅#Paralympics pic.twitter.com/yPg8zKJKyu

— DStv (@DStv) August 28, 2021

As TimesLIVE reports, Mahlangu is a man who loves giving back:

“I wanted to dedicate the long jump to the people of Japan,” said double leg amputee Mahlangu on Sunday, when the magnitude of his last-jump victory on Saturday night had begun to settle on his 19-year-old shoulders and the tears he shed had all but dried.

“I have to thank the people of Japan for having us here. They have been kind and this gold medal I dedicate to the people of Japan. The writing on the leg says ‘arigato’, which means ‘thank you’ in Japanese to our hosts.”

…“I went hard, sjoe, my bum is very sore from landing, but I got the gold medal and the world record and that’s great. It’s great positive news for SA,” said Mahlangu.

It’s certainly positive news, and we thank you for your sacrifice.

South Africa’s first gold medal of the Games came via Anrune Weyers, who won the women’s 400-metre T45 (single-arm amputees) final.

She crossed the line in 56,05, and was comfortably ahead of the rest of the field:

Anrune Weyers. 1st gold for SA. Awesome stuff 👏👌#Paralympics #gold # pic.twitter.com/m4XQX9Qtdj

— Judy Naidoo (@JudyKollapury) August 28, 2021

Sheer, unbridled joy:

This is what it means to win GOLD!!
😭🇿🇦❤️@AnRUNel #TeamSA#ParaAthletics #Paralympics pic.twitter.com/LnhfgQ2hoa

— Team South Africa (@TeamSA2020) August 28, 2021

Both gold medallists also earned a decent chunk of change, with this via Cape Town Etc:

[Weyers] will receive R450 000 while her coach, Suzanne Ferreira, will pocket R120 000. Weyers still has the opportunity to extend her winning streak, and is set to compete in the women’s 100m and 200m T47.

[Mahlangu’s] gold medal will bring in R450 000, while the world record will bag R180 000.

This means the 19-year-old star will take home R630 000 for his first Tokyo Paralympic event while his coach, Neil Cornelius, is expected to receive R120 000.

Our third medallist thus far is Louzanne Coetzee, who claimed silver in this morning’s women’s T11 1 500-metre final:

SILVER 🥈 Team SA’s Louzanne Coetzee has won SILVER in the women’s T11 1500m final in an African record 4:40.96. It is #TeamSA ‘s 3rd medal of the #TokyoParalympics pic.twitter.com/zMCVgDscfx

— Team South Africa (@TeamSA2020) August 30, 2021

Coetzee will bag R220 000 (as well as R70 000 for her coach), and any bronze medallists will win R100 000 (along with R30 000 for their coach).

Here’s a snap to put a smile on your face this freezing cold Monday morning:

What a way to start the day 🇿🇦🤩🥈#TeamSA #Tokyo2020#Paralympics pic.twitter.com/aE3ygLhRBY

— Team South Africa (@TeamSA2020) August 30, 2021

That’s her guide, Erasmus Badenhorst, standing alongside her.

Here’s hoping Team SA can bag a few more medals to bring back to our shores.

We do have 16-year-old sprint sensation Puseletso Mabote in the final of the men’s T63 100-metre event to look forward to.

[sources:timeslive&capetownetc]