Puseletso Mabote cut a distraught figure as he attempted to digest his run in the final of the men’s T63 100m at the 2024 Paralympics at the Stade de France on Monday night.
Mabote, who had equalled the Paralympic record of 12.05 sec in Sunday’s heats, had gone into the final with a lot of expectation given his performance of 24 hours earlier.
But confidence and youth are bed partners, which is why the 19-year-old was so disconsolate after finishing fifth in 12.16 sec, with gold going to Ezra Frech of the US, in 12.06.
In other words, Mabote ran a faster time in the heats than Frech did in winning the gold medal.
So, the disappointment is understandable. But, he will come again.
Mabote seemed to wobble slightly coming out of the blocks, but pulled himself into contention at the halfway mark.
However, when he called for the afterburners they weren’t there and he had to settle for fifth.
We need to be reminded that he is still only 19 and at school.
This was his second Paralympics, he broke the African record in the long jump and he then equalled the Games record in the T63 100m.
That is a huge accomplishment for a teenager and he still has the potential to go on and become a gold medallist in Los Angeles in four years time.
“It just wasn’t my day. It was a stacked field. Everybody got out and I didn’t expect that.
“I don’t know what happened. I don’t know what I’m feeling right now, it’s too early to say.
“I will go back home and write my prelims and see what happens after that.”
Kirsty Weir emphatically proved that it’s not how you start but how you finish when she cut through the field to place eighth in the women’s PTS4 triathlon on Monday.
The South African, who less than 18 months ago couldn’t ride a bike or swim, and yet had been encouraged to take up para-triathlon, was the fastest in the field over the 5km run as she closed out the 750m, 20km bike and run with a 20 min 37 sec time on her feet.
She had taken to the water apprehensive as to what lay ahead in the River Seine, the quality of the water which was such that the event had been postponed until Monday.
When asked her thoughts as to what she thought of the river, she quipped, “I’ll tell you tomorrow”.
Weir was ecstatic to show that she belonged among the best para-triathletes in her class, even though she admitted it was the hardest race of her career.
“But, if it wasn’t hard then everyone would do it,” the former Two Oceans 21km marathon champion said.
Her life took a turn for the worse 14 years ago when she developed a rare condition called neurological lupus.
However, she calls herself “the luckiest Paralympian in the world,” and sheer joy and happiness was again etched across her face as she took time to soak in what she had just achieved in Paris.
Weir had completed the 750m swim in 19:49, which left her in 12th spot.
She made up a couple of places on the bike, but it was the run where she showed that class is permanent.
“There are no words. I’m so lucky and so grateful.
“As a non-swimmer my poor coach [Rohan Kennedy] had to drill me.
“I could hear his voice after just 5m of the swim downstream.
“I had promised him I wouldn’t stop and that I’d make it.”
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