Mhlongo comes fourth in triumph as he claims unexpected 200m bronze

Mpumelelo Mhlongo came fourth in triumph as he won the 200m bronze in dramatic fashion at the Paralympics on Saturday, taking Team South Africa’s haul to six medals.

Mhlongo, categorised as a T44 athlete,  was competing in the tougher T64 class, and he clocked a 22.62sec world record as he crossed the line fourth.

But second-placed German Felix Streng was disqualified for a lane infringement, which promoted Mhlongo, the T44 100m champion in Paris, to the podium.

Sherman Guity Guity of Costa Rica won in 21.32sec, with Levi Vloet of the Netherlands second in 22.47.

Collen Mahlalela ended seventh in the men’s T47 400m in 49.95. 

Earlier in the evening swimmer Christian Sadie had to settle for fifth spot in a tight S7 men’s 50m butterfly final, touching in a 29.94 African record behind Ukrainian Andrii Trusov (28.75), Carlos Zarate of Colombia (29.08) and neutral Russian Egor Efrosinin (29.69). American Evan Austin was fourth (29.89).

The Games close on Sunday with Louzanne Coetzee, the blind runner who claimed bronze in the women’s 1,500m T11 earlier in the week, scheduled to compete in the women’s marathon.

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