South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

entered 45 athletes in the

2016 Summer Paralympics ) , nations = 159 , athletes = 4,342 , opening = 7 September , closing = 18 September , opened_by = President Michel Temer , cauldron = Clodoaldo Silva , events = 528 in 22 sports , stadium = Maracanã , sum ...

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a b ...

from 7–18 September 2016. The country qualified athletes in archery, athletics, canoeing, cycling, equestrian, powerlifting, rowing, swimming, shooting and wheelchair tennis.

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. 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.

Medals

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

Gold

Kevin Paul Kevin Paul (born 30 June 1991) is a South African Paralympic swimmer Swimming is an individual or team racing sport that requires the use of one's entire body to move through water. The sport takes place in pools or open water (e.g., in ...

- Swimming - Men's 100m Breaststroke - SB9 *

Hilton Langenhoven Hilton Langenhoven (born 21 June 1983) is a South African athlete and three time Paralympic Champion, competing mainly in category F12 (visual impairment) long jump events. He was born in Somerset West, Western Cape. He competed in the 2004 Sum ...

- Athletics - Men's Long Jump - T12 *

Charl du Toit Charl du Toit (born 26 March 1993) is a South African former Paralympic sprinter who competed in the T37 class. Du Toit has competed at two Summer Paralympic Games, London 2012 and Rio 2016. At the 2016 Summer Olympics he won gold medals in the ...

- Athletics - Men's 100m - T37 *

Ernst van Dyk Ernst Francois van Dyk OIS (born 4 April 1973) is a South African wheelchair racer and handcyclist. He has won a record 10 wheelchair titles in the Boston Marathon. He was also awarded the Laureus World Sports Awards for ''Sportsperson with ...

- Cycling - Men's Road Race - H5 * Reinhardt Hamman - Athletics - Men's Javelin Throw - F38 *

- Athletics - Men's 400m - T37 *

Dyan Buis Dyan Neille Buis (born 30 November 1990 in Riversdale, Western Cape) is a South African Paralympic sprint runner and long jumper. He has mild cerebral palsy and competes in the T38 class. In 2012, Buis was a student at Global University G ...

- Athletics - Men's 400m - T38

Silver

Ilse Hayes Ilse Hayes (born 30 August 1985), also known as Ilse Carstens, is a Paralympian athlete from South Africa competing mainly in category T13 sprint events. Hayes has competed for her country at four Summer Paralympics beginning with the 2004 Sum ...

- Athletics - Women's 100m - T13 *

Ntando Mahlangu Ntando Mahlangu (born 26 January 2002) is a South African Paralympic athlete. He won the gold medal in both the men's long jump T63 and men's 200 metres T61 events at the 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo, Japan. He won the silver medal in the ...

- Athletics - Men's 200m - T42 *

Anrune Liebenberg Anrune Weyers (née Liebenberg, born 3 November 1992), is a South African para-athlete. She took up athletics in 2010. Weyers was born with a congenital defect in her left arm and competes in the T47 disability class. At the 2011 IPC Athletics ...

- Athletics - Women's 400m - T47 *

Jonathan Ntutu Ndodomzi Jonathan Ntutu (born 4 February 1986) is a visually impaired South African sprinter. Ndodomzi Jonathan Ntutu is currently South Africa's fastest ever para-athlete. His 10.80 was posted on April 12, 2018, during the heats of the Commonwe ...

- Athletics - Men's 100m - T12 *

- Athletics - Women's 400m - T13 *

- Athletics - Men's 200m - T12

Bronze

* Fanie van der Merwe - Athletics - Men's 100m - T37 * Tyrone Pillay - Athletics - Men's Shot Put - T42 * Zanele Situ - Athletics - Women's Javelin Throw - F54 *

- Athletics - Men's Long Jump - T38

Archery

South Africa qualified one archer for the Rio Games following their performance at the

2015 World Archery Para Championships Fifteen or 15 may refer to: *15 (number), the natural number following 14 and preceding 16 *one of the years 15 BC, AD 15, 1915, 2015 Music *Fifteen (band), a punk rock band Albums * ''15'' (Buckcherry album), 2005 * ''15'' (Ani Lorak album ...

Stephanus Lombaard Stephanus Lombaard is a paralympic athlete from South Africa competing mainly in category F57 throwing events. Stephanus was part of the South African team that travelled to the 1996 Summer Paralympics The 1996 Paralympic Games in A ...

earned the spot in the men's compound open after defeating sixth seeded Swiss archer Martin Imboden.

Athletics

The athletics squad consists of seven women and thirteen men: ;Women

Louzanne Coetzee Louzanne Coetzee (born 18 April 1993) is a South African para-athlete. Career Coetzee was born blind as a result of a hereditary condition called Leber congenital amaurosis and competes in the T11 disability class, for athletes with the highes ...

Liezel Gouws Liezel Gouws (born 1998) is a South African female Paralympic athlete and a world record holder of 800m event under T37 classification for women (2:42.39) which was set in 2015 at Johannesburg, South Africa during the national Championships. Sh ...

, Zandile Nhlapo, Zanele Situ,

Chenelle Van Zyl Cheryline Ernestine Lim (born 10 March 1982), known by her stage name Che'Nelle, is an Australian singer-songwriter signed to Universal Music Japan. Early life Cheryline Ernestine Lim was born on 10 March 1982, to a Chinese father, and a mother ...

;Men

Charl Du Toit Charl du Toit (born 26 March 1993) is a South African former Paralympic sprinter who competed in the T37 class. Du Toit has competed at two Summer Paralympic Games, London 2012 and Rio 2016. At the 2016 Summer Olympics he won gold medals in the ...

Arnu Fourie Arnu Fourie (born 24 April 1985) is a South African Paralympian athlete who runs in the T44 class. His is a single-below-the-knee amputee. Life and career Fourie was born in Bloemfontein, and lost his left leg below the knee in a boating prop ...

, Reinhardt Hamman,

Mpumelelo Mhlongo Mpumelelo Mhlongo (born 1994) is a South African sprint and long jump athlete and Paralympic Games record holder. Mhlongo won silver and bronze at the 2019 World Para Athletics Championships in the T44 men's 100 metres and long jump events. Ml ...

, Tyrone Pillay,

Union Sekailwe Union Sekailwe (born 6 January 1986) is a Paralympian athlete from South Africa competing mainly in category T38 sprint events. Sekailwe competed for his country at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London, where he won a bronze medal in the 400 m ...

, Fanie van der Merwe,

, 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.

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.

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.

Powerlifting

One woman, Chantelle Stierman has been entered in the powerlifting event, her manager/coach is Andrew Ludik.

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 Rio 2016 under this criterion in the AS Women's Single Sculls event with a seventh-place finish in a time of 05:48.890. 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.

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.

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 2016 with an A-Qualifying time of 55.92 in the S5 50m backstroke event.

Emily Gray Emily Rose Gray (born October 5, 2000) is an American soccer player who plays as a midfielder for North Carolina Courage of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). Early life Gray was raised in the Sewell section of Washington Township, ...

also qualified for Rio 2016 in the S9 100m backstroke event after a 7th place in the final in a time of 1:16.27.

Wheelchair tennis

The wheelchair tennis squad consists of one woman,

Kgothatso Montjane Kgothatso Montjane (born 3 June 1986) is a South African wheelchair tennis player. In 2018, she became the first black South African woman to compete at Wimbledon. Early life Montjane was born in Seshego on the periphery of Polokwane, Limpopo ...

and three men, Leon Els,

Lucas Sithole Lucas Sithole (1931-1994) was a South African sculptor best known for his work in mainly indigenous woods, as well as for his sculptures in bronze, Rock (geology), stone and other media. He was born on 15 November 1931, in Springs, Transvaal ...

and Evans Maripa. The coaching staff are Khotso Matshego and Holger Losch. Wheelchair Tennis South Africa held a send off ceremony for the tennis delegation on 16 August in Johannesburg.

References

{{NPCin2016SummerParalympics Nations at the 2016 Summer Paralympics

2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...

2016 in South African sport