Paris 2024: Team SA Paralympic flag bearers revealed
South Africa’s Olympians and Paralympians were feted at a farewell banquet in Johannesburg on Tuesday, ahead of their Paris 2024 journey.
Charged with excitement and well wishes, Team SA’s Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls departed for Paris after a rousing send-off on Tuesday evening.
There was a buzz of excitement and expectation as they were given their final good wishes ahead of the Games.
The gala dinner coincided with the celebration of 17 days to go to the Paris Olympics and 50 days to go to the Paralympic Games.
The Paris Olympics will be held in the French capital from 26 July to 11 August, followed by the Paralympics which will be held from 28 August to 8 September.
The highlight of the evening was the announcement of the flag bearers for both the Paris Olympics and the Paralympic Games.
They are Akani Simbine and Caitlin Rooskrantz (Paris Olympics) and Mpumelelo Mhlongo and Kathrine Swanepoel (Paralympics).
All four of the athletes were part of the Tokyo Games 2020 (held in 2021 due to Covid-19).
ABOUT THE SOUTH AFRICAN PARIS PARALYMPICS 2024 FLAG BEARERS:
MPUMELELO MHLONGO
Paralympian Mpumelelo Mhlongo is a T44 100m sprinter and long jumper.
He was the winner of Athletics South Africa’s Sportsman of the Year 2024 with a Disability.
He won the men’s 100m T44 at the 2023 and 2024 Para Athletics World Championships, where he broke the T44 200m world record and set the T44 200m, 100m, and long jump Para Athletics Games records.
His aim is to beat his own world records in the 100m and long jump when he participates in the 2024 Paris Paralympics.
KAT SWANEPOEL
Swanepoel is a versatile swimmer competing in the SM5 200m Individual Medley, S5 50m backstroke, 100m freestyle, 200m freestyle, SB4 100m breaststroke, and S14 400m freestyle.
She first represented SA in Wheelchair Basketball and Wheelchair Rugby and received National Colours in Wheelchair Rugby.
She started her professional swimming career in 2019.
Some of her personal achievements include: finishing fourth in the S4 50m backstroke at the 2021 Tokyo Games by a margin of 0.5 seconds; winning silver in the SM4 150m Individual Medley and bronze in the S4 50m backstroke at the 2022 Madeira World Championships; and winning
gold in the SM4 150m Individual Medley, gold in the S4 50m backstroke, and silver in the SB3 50m breaststroke at the 2023 Manchester World Swimming Championships.
Swanepoel has been nominated twice for Sportswoman of the Year with a Disability at the SA Sports Awards in 2023 and 2024.