South Africa at the 2016 Summer Paralympics

South Africa at the
2016 Summer Paralympics
IPC code RSA
NPC South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee
Website www.sascoc.co.za
in Rio de Janeiro
Competitors 45 in 10 sports
Flag bearer Zanele Situ (opening)
Fanie van der Merwe (closing)
Medals
Ranked 22nd
Gold Silver Bronze Total
7 6 4 17
Summer Paralympics appearances

South Africa entered 45 athletes in the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7 September to 18 September 2016. The country qualified athletes in archery, athletics, canoeing, cycling, equestrian, powerlifting, rowing, swimming, shooting and wheelchair tennis.[1]

Funding and support

In September 2015, a representative from the country attended the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games Chef de Mission seminar as part of the country's preparation efforts for the 2016 Games.[2][3]

For some South African sportspeople trying to qualify for Rio, the funding had to come out of their own pocket. This was the case for three-time equestrian Paralympian Philippa Johnson. There is a particular challenge with equestrian sport because, unlike able-bodied riders, para-riders do not get prize money at major international events. This despite the fact the sport has higher costs for participants with a disability. SASOC’s Operation Excellence (OPEX) does exist and for some South African Paralympians, it provides four years worth of support going into each new Paralympic cycle. 32% of the funded sportspeople in the program are para-sportspeople.[4]

Medals

The South African team won a total of seventeen medals; seven gold, six silver and four bronze.[5]

Gold

Silver

Bronze

Archery

South Africa qualified one archer for the Rio Games following their performance at the 2015 World Archery Para Championships. Stephanus Lombaard earned the spot in the men's compound open after defeating sixth seeded Swiss archer Martin Imboden.[6]

Athletics

The athletics squad consists of seven women and thirteen men:[1]

Women

Ilse Hayes, Louzanne Coetzee, Liezel Gouws, Anrune Liebenberg, Zandile Nhlapo, Zanele Situ, Chenelle Van Zyl

Men

Dyan Buis, Charl Du Toit, Arnu Fourie, Reinhardt Hamman, Hilton Langenhoven, Ntando Mahlangu, Mpumelelo Mhlongo, Jonathan Ntutu, Tyrone Pillay, Union Sekailwe, Fanie van der Merwe, Ernst van Dyk, Khothatso Mokone (Guide)

Managers and coaches

Suzanne Ferreira, Karin Le Roux, Daniel Damon, Raymond Julius, Neels Matthyser

Cycling

With one pathway for qualification being one highest ranked NPCs on the UCI Para-Cycling male and female Nations Ranking Lists on 31 December 2014, South Africa qualified for the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio, assuming they continued to meet all other eligibility requirements.[7][8]

Equestrian

A single competitor, Philippa Johnson returns to the Paralympics for the third time. She is supported by groom Mieke Wirix and coach Christiaan Haazen.[1][9]

Paracanoeing

South Africa earned a qualifying spot at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in this sport following their performance at the 2015 ICF Canoe Sprint & Paracanoe World Championships in Milan, Italy where the top six finishers in each Paralympic event earned a qualifying spot for their nation. Graham Paull earned the spot for South Africa after finishing fifth in the men's KL1 event.[10][11]

Powerlifting

One woman, Chantelle Stierman has been entered in the powerlifting competition, her manager/coach is Andrew Ludik.[1]

Rowing

One pathway for qualifying for Rio involved having a boat have top eight finish at the 2015 FISA World Rowing Championships in a medal event. South Africa qualified for the 2016 Games under this criteria in the AS Women's Single Sculls event with a seventh place finish in a time of 05:48.890.[12][13] South Africa qualified a second boat with a fifth place finish in the LTA Mixed Coxed Four event in a time of 03:31.830, twelve seconds behind first place finisher, Great Britain, who had a time of 03:19.560.[14]

Shooting

The last direct qualifying event for Rio in shooting took place at the 2015 IPC Shooting World Cup in Fort Benning in November. Zenuer von Kohne earned a qualifying spot for South Africa at this competition in the P3 Mixed 25m Pistol SH1 event.[15][16]

Swimming

South African swimmers competed at the 2015 IPC Swimming World Championships as part of their Rio qualifying efforts. Hendri Herbst was one swimmer who set an A-Qualifying time at the event. The blind swimmer from Worcester, Western Cape qualified in the men's S11 100-metre with a time of 1:00.35. Beth Nothling also qualified for Rio with an A-Qualifying time of 55.92 in the S5 50m backstroke event. Emily Gray also qualified for Rio at the event for the S9 100m backstroke race after a seventh place in the final in a time of 1:16.27.[17]

Wheelchair tennis

The wheelchair tennis squad consists of one woman, Kgothatso Montjane and three men, Leon Els, Lucas Sithole and Evans Maripa. The coaching staff are Khotso Matshego and Holger Losch.[1][18][19] Wheelchair Tennis South Africa held a send off ceremony for the tennis delegation on August 16 in Johannesburg.[18]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Etheridge, Mark (2016-07-19). "Team South Africa named for 2016 Rio Paralympics". SASCOC. Retrieved 2016-08-02.
  2. ↑ "Nations officially invited to Rio 2016 Paralympic Games". International Paralympic Committee. 15 September 2015. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
  3. ↑ "Vietnam looks towards 2016 Rio Paralympics". Nhan Dan. 6 October 2015. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
  4. ↑ "The Paralympian" (PDF). International Paralympic Committee. 2013. Retrieved 25 December 2015.
  5. ↑ "Team RSA at the Rio 2016 Paralympics". Rio2016.com. 2016-05-21. Retrieved 2016-09-18.
  6. ↑ "DONAUESCHINGEN AWARDS 82 RIO 2016 PARALYMPIC QUOTA PLACES". World Archery Federation. 26 August 2015. Retrieved 24 December 2015.
  7. ↑ "CYCLING QUALIFICATION" (PDF). International Paralympic Committee. 2014. Retrieved 24 December 2015.
  8. ↑ "Ranking — PARA — Cycling 2014". UCI. 31 December 2014. Retrieved 24 December 2015.
  9. ↑ "EQUESTRIAN" (PDF). FEI. International Paralympic Committee. August 24, 2016. Retrieved August 24, 2016.
  10. ↑ "CANOE Qualification" (PDF). International Paralympic Committee. 2015. Retrieved 24 December 2015.
  11. ↑ "2015 ICF Canoe Sprint & Paracanoe World Championships — Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Qualifier" (PDF). International Canoe Federation. 2015. Retrieved 24 December 2015.
  12. ↑ "Rowing Qualification" (PDF). International Paralympic Committee. 2015. Retrieved 25 December 2015.
  13. ↑ "(ASW1x) AS Women's Single Sculls — Final". World Rowing. 2015. Retrieved 25 December 2015.
  14. ↑ "(LTAMix4+) LTA Mixed Coxed Four — Final". World Rowing. 2015. Retrieved 25 December 2015.
  15. ↑ "Shooting Qualification" (PDF). International Paralympic Committee. 2014. Retrieved 25 December 2015.
  16. ↑ "2015 IPC IPC Shooting World Cup in Fort Benning, United States Official Results Book" (PDF). International Paralympic Committee. 8 November 2015. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
  17. ↑ Mark Etheridge (14 July 2015). "South Africa: Herbst Gets SA's Medal Charge Going At IPC World Championships". South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Johannesburg). Retrieved 23 December 2015.
  18. 1 2 "Wheelchair tennis players off to Paralympics". Alberton Record. Caxton & CTP Printers and Publishers Ltd. August 23, 2016. Retrieved August 24, 2016.
  19. ↑ "ITF announces singles entries for Rio 2016 Paralympics". ITF Tennis. ITF Tennis. June 24, 2016. Retrieved August 24, 2016.
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