South Africa secures fourth medal at Paris 2024 Paralympics

Donald Ramphadi and Lucas Sithole teamed up to earn South Africa’s fourth medal at the Paris 2024 Paralympics on Wednesday.

The duo picked up the bronze medal in the Wheelchair Tennis Quad Doubles bronze medal match against Brazilians pair Leandro Pena and Ymanitu Silva.

The South Africans defeated their Brazilian opponents 6-2, 4-6, (10-8) in an absorbing match which lasted two hours and three minutes.

Ramphadi and Sithole are South Africa’s first ever pair to clinch a medal in Wheelchair Tennis.

𝐁𝐑𝐎𝐍𝐙𝐄 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐒𝐎𝐔𝐓𝐇 𝐀𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐀 🇿🇦

Donald Ramphadi and Lucas Sithole get the job done in the quad doubles bronze medal match 😤#Paralympics pic.twitter.com/OuKCtSvwd8— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) September 4, 2024

Earlier on Wednesday, Pieter du Preez won South Africa’s third medal.

Du Preez took the bronze medal in the H1 Individual Time Trial when he crossed the finish line in third place in a time of 36:07.05.

Italy’s Fabrizio Cornegliani took gold in 34:50.45, while Maxime Hordies from Belgium took silver in 35:11.13.

Du Preez won the gold medal in the event at the most recent Paralympics held in Tokyo in 2021.

Meanwhile, Mpumelelo Mhlongo won gold in the men’s T44 100m while Louzanne Coetzee doubled Team SA’s medal tally when she won the bronze medal in the 1 500m in the T11 class.

𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐌𝐄𝐃𝐀𝐋 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐒𝐎𝐔𝐓𝐇 𝐀𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐀 🇿🇦

Pieter du Preez finishes the Men’s H1 Individual Time Trial in 36:07:05 to win the bronze! 🥉#Paralympics pic.twitter.com/MDI97pKxY7— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) September 4, 2024