There was one world record and two African records broken at the 2026 Toyota SASAPD National Championships in Stellenbosch, which also took in the Winelands International event at Coetzenburg Stadium.
The track and field programme was the headliner of the week, where Boccia, goalball, CP football, para judo, para cycling and para swimming also took place in a highly successful national championships.
The world record came in the men’s T63 400m where Puseletso Mabote scorched round the track in 60.74 seconds, which is a world record for the class, pending ratification. It was a bittersweet moment for the first-year business management student from Johannesburg. “Absolutely brilliant, I had a lot of fun and am so happy,” he said. “The downside is that the event doesn’t form part of the programme at the Commonwealth Games this year so I’ll miss out on that.”
Also missing out on a Commonwealth Games slot in Glasgow is the gold medallist from the 2024 Paris Paralympics, Simone Kruger. She broke the African F38 shot put record by 24cm, extending it to 11.51m, at the Winelands International, but that too isn’t an event on the Glasgow menu.
“We’re hoping to be able to go to a grand prix event in Europe later in the season, but it was a great set of results for me nonetheless,” said the second-year Maties student.
Liezel Gouws, already with three Paralympics next to her name and still only 27, was the third para athlete to break the African record, her 4.58m leap in the F37 long jump showing why she feels she will be a force come the 2028 LA Paralympics.
And Mpumelelo Mhlongo, the poster act of Paris 2024, is another who is eying LA, where he will be 33 years old. He produced a leap of 6.82m in the F44 and expressed his satisfaction with the result given how busy he has been with his work commitments.
In terms of rankings on the international points system, the leading performances came from Kruger, Gouws, Mabote, Louzanne Coetzee, Living Mashale and Kerwin Noemdo.
TOP PERFORMERS
Based on international points system
1046 Simone Kruger (F38 shot put) 12.38m AR
1002 Liezel Gouws (F37 long jump) 4.88m AR
991 Puseletso Mabote (T63 400m) 60.74 WR
942 Simone Kruger (F38 discus) 35.73m
928 Louzanne Coetzee (T11 5000m) 19:13.40 PB
919 Living Mashale (F35 long jump) 4.94m
900 Kerwin Noemdo (F46 shot put)
898 Masala Makutu (T12 100m) 11.13
896 Masala Makutu (T12 200m)
888 Mpumelelo Mhlongo (F44 long jump) 6.82m
887 Sheryl James (T37 200m) 29.19
881 Sheryl James (T37 100m) 14.00
840 Mpumelelo Mhlongo (F44 100m) 11.61
831 Puseletso Mabote (T63 100m) 12.23
820 Liezel Gouws (T37 200m) 29.63
819 Jonathan Ntutu (T12 100m) 11.26
812 Sibusiso Manabela (F37 discus) 45.78m
800 Collen Mahlalela (T47 100m) 11.45