Mpumi breaks his own world record and wins bronze at the Paralympics, showing resilience and class in the 200m T64.
Paris, France (09 September 2024) – Mpumi came into the Mixed Zone with the South African flag draped over his shoulders, which was interesting. When we left the Press Tribune, we had seen the result as fourth place and thought, “So close.”
Then, while we were waiting, I said, “Maybe we should double-check the results.” We waited just long enough to confirm the official timing and found out it was another world record for Mpumi. At 22.62 seconds, it was. Although Mpumi referred to it as simply beating his previous personal best, both statements are true.
The Impact of Felix’s Disqualification
We had been working under the assumption that Sherman Guity Guity from Costa Rica had finished first, followed by Felix Streng from Germany, with Levi Vloet from the Netherlands pipping Mpumi for third. Then, mid-interview, we found out that Felix had been disqualified for a lane infringement. This meant Mpumi bagged his second medal of the Games.
When we spoke, he wasn’t sure the result would stand, as he suspected it might be contested. But honestly, he’s such a gentleman that he would have taken it on the chin. Speaking about the disqualification, he said, “My heart goes out to Felix. He’s one of my good friends, and I would never want that to happen to any athlete, especially somebody with such a good heart.”
Advocating for the T44 Class: Mpumi and Irmgard’s Fight for Fairness
Speaking of people he knows, I had to ask him about Irmgard Bensusan, who competes for Germany. She gathered the T44 athletes who competed in the women’s 200m T64 for a picture as she advocated for them to have their own category. That’s where I first met her, and she also achieved a bronze.
Exactly like Mpumi, she is classified as T44 and competes with T64 athletes in most races at the Paralympics. This combined classification disadvantages them. Normally, the lower the number, the more severe the impairment, which is a general rule of thumb. But here, technically, the lower the number, the less the impairment can be mitigated in competition. As a result, the impact of the impairment on the competition is greater, largely due to the difference in blades and prosthetic technology. Complicated but necessary.
Two Athletes Breaking Barriers Together
But I digress. When I asked Mpumi about Irmgard, he immediately referred to her as the South African. She was born in Centurion, studied accounting at UJ, and was a junior sprinter and hurdler in non-Para athletics before getting injured. She qualifies to compete for Germany due to her parentage. Most importantly, she calls her impaired leg “Schluffi.” Schluffi! And, like Mpumi, she won bronze in the 200m T64, but for women.
It’s so unlikely that either of them would get onto the podium, let alone both, that I had to ask Mpumi about it. “Listen, we’re doing our best and trying to represent the class the best way we know how. There are a lot of talented kids out there who are T44, and we want to make sure they have an event going forward and can showcase their talent to the world.” And these two really have done that.
An Unlikely Podium, A Shared Victory
They have broken barriers for both genders and are taking their class with them. They can compete out of class, and when everything aligns, anything is possible. But they are also just good for the sport. Neither of them talks about what their achievements mean for themselves without mentioning what it means for their classification. So, to truly appreciate what Mpumi has done, we need to put it in context – and in that context, he isn’t alone. Irmgard is there too.
Mpumi says he knows her very well and that she is an “amazing lady.” And he is an amazing gent. He broke his own world record, did everything he possibly could, and found himself on the podium. When he was there, he was the happiest person. Then Guity Guity let out a roar, and Mpumi responded with his own yell: “Yeh boy!” That sums it up. I think Mpumi would have been content with just the record; he didn’t think this was possible. But he did everything right and now has a bronze to add to his gold – South Africa’s sixth medal of the Games. More than that, the boundaries of what is possible have been shifted. And South Africa has had a pretty big hand in that.
Zareena Gaibee will be on the ground in Paris for the 2024 Olympics and Paralympics events, sharing her take on the prestigious sporting event, giving exclusive insights into life at the games, and hopefully meeting many of the South Africans in Paris who are competing and supporting. She will be reporting her findings for Good Things Guy, giving readers a glimpse of what flying the flag in Paris is all about.
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Sources: Zareena Gaibee
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