Mpumelelo Mhlongo made history by securing South Africa’s first medal at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, claiming gold in the men’s 100m T44 classification on Sunday. The Olympic and world record holder delivered a dominant performance, leading from start to finish with a time of 11.12 seconds. Cuba’s Yamel Vives Suarez was the only real challenger, finishing second in 11.20 seconds, while Malaysia’s Eddy Bernard took third in 11.58 seconds.
After the race, the 30-year-old Mhlongo reflected on the significance of the moment. “Every occasion is different,” he said. “This time, my wife, mother and mother-in-law were all here. Having my family here means everything.”
Discussing his preparation, Mhlongo credited his coach, adding, “It took a lot of hard work and dedication. My coach would still shout at me for not executing the race exactly as he wanted.”
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Born with amniotic band syndrome and a deformed club foot, Mhlongo is also competing in the 200m and long jump events in the same classification. “It’s one step at a time,” he said. “We got the job done in the 100m. Now it’s time to recover, refocus and execute the plan we’ve been working on for the last three years.”
Hailing from Klaarwater, eThekwini, Mhlongo is more than just a record-breaking athlete. He is currently pursuing a PhD in chemical engineering at the University of Cape Town. Mhlongo hopes his gold medal will inspire his teammates to follow suit.
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“I’ve opened the floodgates for my teammates to do more,” said Mhlongo, who also had the honour of being a flag bearer at the Paralympic opening ceremony.
