Pretoria – Team South Africa celebrated another golden night at the 2012 Paralympic Games in London on Wednesday.
The men’s T43-44 4×100-metre track relay team consisting of Samkelo Radebe, Zivan Smith, Arnu Fourie and Oscar Pistorius dashed their way to a gold medal in a world record time of 41.78 seconds to take the country’s medal tally to 17.
This comes after Dyan Buis won bronze in the F38 men’s long jump, for his second medal of the Games after he had won silver in the men’s 100m a few days ago.
Brazil finished second in 41.92 seconds and the US third in 42.56. However, both were later disqualified.
The Brazilians were disqualified for not touching the baton within the take-over zone and the US for running out of their lane.
Silver was awarded to China, who finished in 42.98, and bronze to Germany in 45.23.
SASCOC chief executive officer Tubby Reddy has welcomed the new additions to the medal haul.
“Any medal here at the Paralympics is well-earned, but to win gold and in world record time is something special. We take our hats off as a nation to the team of Samkelo Radebe, Zivan Smith, Arnu Fourie and Oscar Pistorius.
“It’s also fabulous to see 21-year-old Dyan winning his second medal in his very first Paralympic Games,” he said.
South Africa’s 17 medals are made up of four gold, five silver and eight bronze medals, putting them 21st on the medals table. – SAnews.gov.za