Coetzee runs his personal record in Paris and wins BRONZE!

By GARY LEMKE in Paris

Louzanne Coetzee doubled Team SA’s medal tally at the 2024 Paralympics when she won bronze in the 1500m at the Stade de France on Monday morning. The race produced a world record for the T11 class with Ethiopia’s Yayesh Tesfaw taking gold in 4min 27.68sec.

Coetzee herself improved her time in Tokyo, which won her silver, by five seconds, finishing together with her guide Estian Badenhorst in 4:35.49, a personal best in the fastest race ever for T11 athletes.

The 31-year-old was a double medallist at Tokyo 2020, where she won the silver medal in the 1500m and the bronze medal in the marathon, underlining her versatility. She will compete again in the marathon on the final day of competition on Sunday.

The pace was high from the start, with the Kenyan duo in the field, along with eventual winner Tesfaw and China’s Shanshan He, who led Coetzee away. Coetzee ran in fifth place for most of the race and looked well outside the medals.

The South Africans remained patient, however, and began to make steady progress from the final bell that signaled 400 meters to go. Still, they were about 25 meters behind the fourth-placed runners. Coetzee and her guide stepped on the gas pedal with 250 meters to go and closed the gap to the runners ahead of them, putting them in third place with 100 meters to go.

They would never again be able to match the gold and silver medal winners, but Coetzee’s personal best of 4:35.49 was a full six seconds faster than fourth place.

This was the second medal for Team South Africa at these Paralympic Games, after Mpumelelo Mhlongo won gold in the men’s 100 metres T44 on Sunday evening.

Photo: ROGER SEDRES