Ntando Mahlangu

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Ntando Mahlangu
Personal information
Born (2002-01-26) 26 January 2002 (age 19)
Sport
CountrySouth Africa
SportPara-athletics
DisabilityAmputated legs at the knee due to fibular hemimelia
Disability class
  • T61 (2018 – present)
  • T42 (until 2018)
Event(s)
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 medalist 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. 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, Brazil where he won the silver medal in the men's 200 metres T42 event at the age of 14.[2][5]

At the 2017 World Para Athletics Championships in London, United Kingdom, he won the silver medal in the men's 200 metres T42 event.[6] 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.[7]

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 he finished in 4th place in the men's long jump T63 event. 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 s in the men's 200 metres T61 final at the 2021 Toyota South African Sports for the Physically Disabled 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, in a world record jump of 7.17 m.[9][10] He also won the gold medal in the men's 200 metres T61 event.

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

Achievements[]

Track[]

Year Competition Venue Position Event Notes
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[]

Year Competition Venue Position Event Notes
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. ^ a b "profile: Ntando Mahlangu - Jumping Kids Beneficiary". Jumping Kids. Retrieved 2021-08-28.
  2. ^ a b "Ntando Mahlangu". paralympic.org. International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
  3. ^ "Pretoria's Paralympic star now also a world record holder". Rekord East. 2021-05-20. Retrieved 2021-09-05.
  4. ^ "South Africa's new blade phenom: 'I'm not Oscar Pistorius, I'm Ntando the Great!'". ESPN.com. 2021-08-26. Retrieved 2021-09-05.
  5. ^ Musembi, Peter (25 July 2018). "South African Paralympian Ntando Mahlangu is the rising star". BBC. Retrieved 24 December 2019.
  6. ^ "2017 World Para Athletics Championships – Results – Men's 200m T42 Final" (PDF). IPC. 15 July 2017. Retrieved 15 July 2017.
  7. ^ "World Para Athletics announces classification changes". World Para Athletics. 26 October 2017. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
  8. ^ "Records tumble at disabled championships in Gqeberha". HeraldLIVE. Retrieved 2021-08-28.
  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 2021-08-28.
  11. ^ "Netflix's 'Rising Phoenix' wins two Sports Emmy Awards". Paralympic.org. 9 June 2021. Retrieved 3 September 2021.

External links[]

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