SA's Supa Piet wins time trial silver medal at UCI Para-cycling World Champs
If you think back to the 2020 Paralympics, you will remember that South Africa’s Pieter du Preez beat Italy's Fabrizio Cornegliani in the time trial to gold in Tokyo.
South Africa’s Pieter du Preez and Italy's Fabrizio Cornegliani on the podium at the UCI Para-cycling World Championships on 12 August 2022. Picture: Supapiet/Instagram.
JOHANNESBURG - Pieter 'Supa Piet' du Preez won the silver medal in the men's H1 Time Trial race at the Para-cycling World Championships in Baie-Comeau, Canada.
Italy's Fabrizio Cornegliani won the gold medal with a time of 47:41.46, with Supa Piet coming in a second later to claim the silver medal in 48:54.82. The bronze medal went to Belgium's Maxime Hordies who come in at 50:17.03.
If you think back to the 2020 Paralympics, you will remember that South Africa’s Pieter du Preez beat Italy's Fabrizio Cornegliani in the Time Trial to gold in Tokyo.
"A very proudly South Africa silver in the time trial today, gave it my all and considering my buildup, I'm very happy with the result. Huge thank you for all the support and well wishes from back home and I would not be here without my sponsors and support," said Du Preez.
The actuarial analyst at Deloitte South Africa said that it took an entire team to get him where he was as an athlete and he's especially grateful to his wife and son for everything that they did to help him keep winning.
"Thanks, coach Ray, #TeamTissink, we are still doing something right! To my wife and son, the anchors of Team Supa Piet, there are no words because they are playing manager, mechanic, assistant coach and the list goes on," said Supa Piet.
Du Preez took part in the Para-cycling National Championships earlier this year where he retained his national title and will be competing in the Road Race at the World Champs on Saturday.
"It's the road race on Saturday, we will be out to fight again and see what the body gives us but defending a Rainbow jersey will hopefully give me some extra strength on the day," said the para-athlete.
Supa Piet, who was nominated for the Laureus World Sports Awards in 2016, has won the Berlin Marathon more than six times and is a multiple African and world record holder, a world champion, and he only has 15% of the muscle function of an able-bodied person due to a cycling accident in 2003.
He was also the first quadriplegic in the world to take part in and complete the Ironman triathlon in 2013.
PARA-CYCLING CLASSIFICATION EXPLAINED
There are five different classes for hand cycling (H); the lower the number the more severe the limitation of activity is.
The H1 to H4 para-cyclists, who are athletes with loss of trunk and function and limited arm function, compete in a fully reclined position, while the H5 cyclists are able to kneel in an upright position. All hand cyclists use their arms to pedal.
T1 and T2 classes are the only two sport classes in tricycling. The impairments in these classes affect balance and co-ordination and the tricycle assists the rider with balance and increases their stability. The lower the class number, the more severe the co-ordination or loss of muscle power.
C1 to C5 classes compete using a standard bicycle. They may be amputees, riders with impaired muscle power in limbs as well as athletes with conditions affecting co-ordination.
Cyclists who compete using a tandem fall under the B or TB class. This category is for visually impaired riders. They ride a tandem bicycle with a sighted pilot rider in front. The class ranges from B1, who are riders with the most severe visual impairment, to B3 being a rider with the least severe visual impairment. All B riders compete in the same event.