Staff Reporter
Former University of the Free State student Louzanne Coetzee has won a silver medal in the 1 500m women’s T11 final at the Paralympics currently underway in Tokyo, Japan.
Coetzee, who is blind, came second in a time of 4:40.96 when she ran on Monday and in the process set a new African record with the help of her guide Estean Badenhorst.
“I have been competing for eight years and this is my first medal,” said an excited Coetzee in a statement released by the university.
“I’m just overwhelmed. I couldn’t have asked for a better race, a better guide and better preparation. I’m just very thankful for how everything went down,” she added.
Coetzee is still with the UFS Bloemfontein campus.
The race, according to the statement, took place at 32°C with over 70 percent humidity.
Her time was only 2.04 seconds off the previous world record.
In Sunday’s heat, she improved her personal best from 4:51.65 to 4:49.24 and ran another eight seconds quicker on Monday.
Five years ago at the Rio Games, Coetzee was disqualified after a ruling that her guide had stepped in front of her.
UFS rector and vice-chancellor Professor Francis Petersen congratulated Coetzee and praised her for the hard work.
“We are tremendously proud of what she has achieved throughout her athletics career,” said Petersen.
“She has represented the country numerous times at international sport events and winning a silver medal and setting a new African record is the culmination of hard work and exceptional endurance.”
He added: “The entire university community was rooting for her. She has done us and her country extremely proud.”
Coetzee will also run in the T12 marathon on Sunday.