Paralympic sprinter Mofokeng says he feels mentally prepared for World Champs
The T62 athlete is one of the 26 athletes representing South Africa from 8 to 17 July at the World Para Athletics Championships and will be running in the 100m and 400m races.
Paralympian Tebogo Mofokeng will be representing South Africa at the World Championships in Paris, France. Picture: Martin Potgieter/Instagram.
JOHANNESBURG – The countdown to one of the world’s top athletics competitions is on, with just three days left before the competition starts at the World Para Athletics Championships in Paris, France.
"I'm happy to be part of Team SA. Thanks to my coach, I feel mentally prepared for the upcoming competition. We have been training hard and hope that I reach my goals at the World Champs," said Tebogo Mofokeng.
The T62 athlete is one of the 26 athletes representing South Africa from 8 to 17 July at the World Para Athletics Championships and will be competing in the 100m and 400m races.
T62 means Mofokeng is an athlete with double below-the-knee amputation who runs with prostheses.
"I am a double amputee, I run in the T62 category. I got burned when I was younger and the water caused the blood not to flow accurately and I had to be amputated," said the athlete.
The World Championships are crucial in the athletes' pursuit of securing slots for the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games. Any athlete finishing in the top four or better will qualify for one slot.
Mofokeng told Eyewitness News that should he make the Paris 2024 Paralympic team, his plan is to be in the top 3 but the first phase of his plan is the Paris World Championships.
“My Paris 2023 goal is to be top 4 and again it's all about a long-term plan that is focused on next year’s Paralympic Games 2024.”
Leading up to the World Championships, he has been training with fellow South African, Sheryl James, who will be running the 100m, 200m and 400m races in the T37 category.
At the Tokyo Paralympics, Mofokeng finished fourth in an African record of 50.09sec in the men’s 400m race and James won the bronze medal in the women’s 400m race.
Speaking on the development of para-sport in South Africa, the Paralympian said that more competitions needed to be hosted in the country.
"There needs to be more para-sports competitions and that could help develop more athletes and possibly increase access and opportunities to compete for those living in the rural areas."
The 10th edition of the World Para Athletics Championships features 93 medal events in the men’s category, 77 medal events in the women’s category and one medal event in the mixed category.