PARALYMPICS 2024: Mpumelelo Mhlongo breaks world record, SA scoops 2 more bronze medals

JOHANNESBURG - South Africa's Mpumelelo Mhlongo has broken the world record in the T44 long jump.

Mhlongo was competing in a higher category than his T44, and his new world record placed him fifth in the field.

Mhlongo was already the world record holder with 7.07m in the T44 classification but came up against athletes in the T62 and T64 class.

T44 athletes have mild limb loss, muscle weakness or restrictions in the legs, however, do not use any prosthetics.

Meanwhile, T64 athletes have an absence of one leg below the knee and use a prosthetic running leg.

T64 jumper Markus Rehm produced a leap of 8.13m to take gold, the silver was taken by USA's T64 Derek Loccident with a leap of 7.79, the bronze by
USA's T64 Jarryd Wallace with a leap of 7.49 as Mhlongo improved his world record to 7.12m.

On Sunday, Team SA flag bearer at the Paris Games dominated the men’s T44 100m when he won a gold medal in a time of 11.12, with the silver going to Silver Luis Vives Suares of Cuba in 11.20, and bronze to Eddy Bernard from Malaysia in 11.58.

Two more bronze medals came Team SA’s way at the 2024 Paralympics on Wednesday.

Cycling’s Pieter du Preez won South Africa's bronze medal in the men’s H1 individual time trial.

The South African finished third in the individual time trial in a time of 36:07.05, with Italy's Fabrizio Cornegliani winning the gold in 34:50.45 and the silver taken by Belguim's Maxime Hordies in 35:11.13.

Later on Wednesday, Donald Ramphadi and Lucas Sithole made history as the first South Africans to win a medal in wheelchair Tennis at the Paralympics, winning a thrilling bronze medal match 6-2, 4-6, 10-8 against Brazil’s Ymanitu Silva and Leandro Pena.

South Africa became the 13th nation to win a Paralympic wheelchair medal since 1992 when the discipline became a full-medal sport.

PARALYMPICS 2024: Para-cyclist Pieter du Preez wins bronze, SA's third medal

PARALYMPICS 2024: Ramphadi and Sithole claim quad-doubles bronze medal