Team South Africa had a promising start on the first day of the 2024 Paralympics in Paris.
Story Summary:
- Team South Africa’s Paralympic campaign continues with events in athletics, boccia, swimming, and wheelchair tennis.
- Sheryl James, a Tokyo 2020 bronze medallist, competes in the women’s T37 200m final.
- Nathan Hendricks returns to the pool for the men’s S13 100m backstroke heats.
Team SA at the Paralympics: How are we doing so far?
Para-archer Shaun Anderson, competing in his third Paralympics, delivered his best international performance to date by qualifying ninth in the men’s W1 individual ranking round.
He will face Turkey’s Yigid Aydin in the 1/8 stage.
In swimming, Nathan Hendricks reached the final of the men’s S13 100m butterfly after clocking 59.51 seconds in his heat.
Although he finished eighth in the final with a time of 59.91 seconds, his qualification marks a solid performance for Team SA in the pool.
Meanwhile, boccia players Karabo Morapedi and Elanza Jordaan made their Paralympic debuts.
Despite their best efforts, both lost their opening pool matches against tough competitors from Australia and Hong Kong, respectively.
Morapedi will be looking to bounce back in his upcoming matches, while Jordaan continues to gain valuable experience in this precision sport.
Team South Africa schedule for Friday, 30 August 2024
On Friday, Team South Africa will be active across four sports at the 2024 Paralympics: athletics, boccia, swimming, and wheelchair tennis.
The day includes key events such as Sheryl James competing in the women’s T37 200m final and Nathan Hendricks returning to the pool for the men’s 100m backstroke S13 heats.
The schedule is packed with potential, and Team SA will be looking to make an impact across all disciplines.
Here’s a look at Thursday’s schedule:
| Times | Sport | Athletes |
|---|---|---|
| 09:00 | Archery | Shaun Anderson (Men’s W1 individual ranking round) |
| 11:03 | Swimming | Nathan Hendricks (Men’s 100m butterfly, S13 heats) |
| 14:00 | Boccia | Korabo Morapedi vs Daniel Michel (Aus) (Men’s individual, BC3, Preliminary Pool A) |
| 20:00 | Boccia | Elanza Jordaan vs Kei Yuen Ho (Hong Kong) (Women’s individual, BC3, Preliminary Pool B) |
