Ntando Mahlangu
Personal information
Born (2002-01-26) 26 January 2002
Sport
CountrySouth Africa
SportPara-athletics
DisabilityAmputated legs at the knee due to fibular hemimelia
Disability class
  • T61 (2018 – present)
  • T42 (until 2018)
Events
Medal record
Men's para-athletics
Representing  South Africa
Paralympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2020 Tokyo Long jump T63
Gold medal – first place 2020 Tokyo 200 m T61
Silver medal – second place 2016 Rio de Janeiro 200 m T42
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2019 Dubai 200 m T61
Silver medal – second place 2017 London 200 m T42

Ntando Mahlangu (born 26 January 2002)[1] is a South African Paralympic athlete.[2] 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 men's 200 metres T42 event at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He is also a two-time medallist at the World Para Athletics Championships.

Personal life

Mahlangu was born with fibular hemimelia, which affected the development of both his legs below the knee. In 2012, it was decided to amputate both his legs at the knee.[1] Later that year he received his first set of blades from South African Charity Jumping Kids. He attended primary school at Laerskool Constantiapark and high school at Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool (Affies) in Pretoria.[3][4]

Career

Early in his career, he competed as a T42-classified athlete. Mahlangu represented South Africa at the 2016 Summer Paralympics held in Rio de Janeiro, Bazi where he won the silver medal in the men's 200 metres T42 event at the age of 14.[2]

At the 2017 World Para Athletics Championships in London, United Kingdom, he won the silver medal in the men's 200 metres T42 event.[5] He also competed in the men's 100 metres T42 event, where he did not advance to compete in the final. At the beginning of 2018, World Para Athletics implemented classification changes and, as of that year, he competes as a T61-classified athlete, a class specifically for athletes with double above-the-knee amputation.[6]

At the 2019 World Para Athletics Championships in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, he won the gold medal in the men's 200 metres T61 event and finished fourth in the men's long jump T63 event.[7] He qualified to represent South Africa at the 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo, Japan. In April 2021, Mahlangu set a new world record of 22.94 seconds in the men's 200 metres T61 final at the 2021 South African Sports for the Physically Disabled (SASAPD) National Championships in Gqeberha, South Africa.[8]

Mahlangu won the gold medal in the men's long jump T63 event at the 2020 Summer Paralympics held in Tokyo, Japan, setting a new world record of 7.17 m.[9][10] He also won the gold medal in the men's 200 metres T61 event.[7]

In 2020, he starred in the Netflix documentary film Rising Phoenix.[11]

Achievements

Track

YearCompetitionVenuePositionEventNotes
Representing  South Africa
2016 Summer Paralympics Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 2nd 200 m 23.77 s
2017 World Championships London, United Kingdom 2nd 200 m 23.95 s
2019 World Championships Dubai, United Arab Emirates 1st 200 m 23.23 s
2021 Summer Paralympics Tokyo, Japan 1st 200 m 23.59 s

Field

YearCompetitionVenuePositionEventNotes
Representing  South Africa
2019 World Championships Dubai, United Arab Emirates 4th Long jump 5.82 m
2021 Summer Paralympics Tokyo, Japan 1st Long jump 7.17 m

References

  1. 1 2 "profile: Ntando Mahlangu - Jumping Kids Beneficiary". Jumping Kids. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  2. 1 2 "Ntando Mahlangu". paralympic.org. International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
  3. ↑ "Pretoria's Paralympic star now also a world record holder". Rekord East. 20 May 2021. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  4. ↑ "South Africa's new blade phenom: 'I'm not Oscar Pistorius, I'm Ntando the Great!'". ESPN.com. 26 August 2021. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  5. ↑ "2017 World Para Athletics ampionships – Results – Men's 200m T42 Final" (PDF). IPC. 15 July 2017. Retrieved 15 July 2017.
  6. ↑ "World Para Athletics announces classification changes". World ParAthletics. 26 October 2017. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
  7. 1 2 "Ntando Mahlangu - Athletics | Paralympic Athlete Profile". International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
  8. ↑ "Records tumble at disabled championships in Gqeberha". HeraldLIVE. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  9. ↑ Houston, Michael (28 August 2021). "British sprinters grab gold on day two of athletics at Tokyo 2020 Paralympics". InsideTheGames.biz. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  10. ↑ staff, Sport24. "Team SA lands 2 gold medals in Tokyo as long-jumper Mahlangu breaks world record". Sport. Retrieved 28 August 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  11. ↑ "Netflix's 'Rising Phoenix' wins two Sports Emmy Awards". Paralympic.org. 9 June 2021. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
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