South Africa has a brand new sporting hero. Step ahead Mpumelelo Mhlongo, who delivered the nation’s first medal on the Paris 2024 Paralympics.

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Not solely was he the primary medallist, nevertheless it was gold as he scorched to victory on the Stade de France on Sunday.

Mpumelelo Mhlongo gained in entrance of 80 000 spectators

“I didn’t execute the race completely and at 60 metres I advised myself that I’ve to get up. However it’s job performed! We bought the gold and hopefully now the floodgates will open,” mentioned the 30-year-old Crew SA athlete.

Mhlongo, who lives and works in Johannesburg, got here into the boys’s T44 100m closing because the favorite – and delivered on that tag in entrance of 80 000 passionate followers.

He led from begin to end in lane 4 to subdue the problem thrown down by Cuban Yamel Vives Suarez and cross the road in 11.12 seconds.

Mhlongo holds the world file at 11.00 and admitted he had been in the kind of type to scare that mark.

“I’ll take the gold although,” he mentioned, draped within the South African flag.

Mhlongo had carried that flag within the opening ceremony  and he’ll now even be the primary to have the nationwide anthem performed at these Paralympics.

“I can’t wait to sing Nkosi sikelel’iAfrika,” he mentioned, of the upcoming medal ceremony.

Gary Lemke is reporting stay from Paris for the Crew SA web site in the course of the Paris Olympics 2024