Paralympian Mhlongo sets sights on 100m, long jump gold

MPULELELO Mhlongo, or simply “Mpumi”, will be among South Africa’s great medal hopes at the Paris Paralympic Games, starting on August 28.

The track and field athlete Mhlongo will be among the 4 400 athletes competing in 22 sports codes in the French capital. The Games end on September 8.

Along with swimmer Kat Swanepoel, Mhlongo will be a South African flag-bearer at the opening ceremony on Place de la Concorde and on Avenue des Champs-Elysées on August 28.

Mhlongo, who won the gong for being named Athletics South Africa’s Sportsman of the Year with Disability for 2024 earlier this year, competes as a sprinter and long jumper in the T44 category.

He has already made his mark on the international landscape in recent years after winning the men’s 100m T44 at the 2023 (Paris) and 2024 Para Athletics World Championships in Japan in May.

In Japan, he broke the T44 200m world record. In addition, he holds the T44 200m, 100m, and long jump Para Athletics Games records. He aims to improve his 100m and long jump world records in Paris next month.

Mhlongo is happy with the form he’s shown in the pre-Olympic events and hopes it will be a springboard to Paralympic success. The 30-year-old Mhlongo, born in Chatsworth, KwaZulu-Natal, has done all the hard yards and is ready for the Paris challenge.

“On the training front, it’s been incredibly tough. We’ve had our heads down and truly done the groundwork to lay the foundation we need for the performances we believe are within our ability,” said Mhlongo.

“We’ve (the coach and I) had a fortunate year thus far. We have already broken our 200m world record, pending ratification.

“All the baseline markers point to us going much further and faster than the current world records. You know it would be amiss of me not to state that the goal at the front of our minds is to stay healthy and get to the Paris 2024 Games in a sound and positive state, both mentally and physically.”

Mhlongo was born with a club foot and amniotic band syndrome. He has overcome significant physical challenges to achieve greatness on and off the track, thanks to his resilience, determination, and unyielding spirit.

He is presently studying for his doctorate in converting plastic waste into energy at the University of Cape Town. He is multilingual and speaks six languages, including Afrikaans, isiXhosa, isiZulu, English, French, and Portuguese.

He is an accomplished speaker and a catalyst for positive change. Last week, he bagged a sponsorship after BIC, the iconic stationery brand, announced a partnership with the decorated Paralympian.

Lilian Henderson, director of marketing Southern and East Africa at BIC, said: “Mhlongo’s story is inspiring. It is a reason to believe you can thrive in any environment if the right resources are attainable.

“As a brand committed to education, we believe change starts with ‘one’. An individual who believes in you, a teacher who supports you, an organisation that funds you, a parent who encourages you.

“Our nationwide initiative ‘Buy a Pen Donate a Pen’ and our partnership with Mhlongo are a testament to that.”