BuaNews (Tshwane)
17 September 2008
Beijing — South Africa's gold rush at the 2008 Paralympic Games has brought Team SA to sixth position on the medal tally with 21 gold medals, three silvers and six bronzes.
China is still in first position with 88 gold medals, 68 silver and 52 bronze medals.
Second on the ladder is Great Britain with 42 gold, 29 silver and 31 bronzes.
Following Britain is the United States with 36 gold, 35 silver and 28 bronze medals.
On Tuesday South Africa's Oscar Pistorius and Fanie van der Merwe clinched two gold medals helping South Africa to move up one on the ladder.
Pistorius, known as "Blade Runner" for his J-shaped carbon-fibre prostheses, won gold as he crossed the finish line of the men's 400m T44, setting a new world record of 47.49 seconds.
Jim Bob Bizzell of the United States and Britain's Ian Jones took the silver and bronze medals respectively.
Blade Runner had earlier won gold in the men's 100m and 200 sprints.
Pistorius was born without his fibula, the smaller of the two bones in the lower legs, and when he was 11 months old, both limbs were amputated below the knee.
Following the victory of his team mate, South Africa's Van der Merwe claimed the title of the men's 200m T37 event with a time of 23.84 seconds, setting another world record.
Earlier in the day South Africa's Hilton Langenhoven and Fanie Lombard also added two gold medals to Team SA's medal tally.
Visually impaired Langenhoven claimed the title of the 200m T13 in 21.94 seconds, adding to his previous gold medals in the pentathlon and long jump.
China's Li Yansong and Yang Yuqing finished second and third respectively.
Langenhoven got off to a slow start, but he ran a good bend and entered the home straight marginally in front of Yansong.
As he crossed the line, he held three fingers aloft - a sign to remind himself and his coach Suzaan Ferreira of their goal to clinch three gold medals.
Team mate Lombard also won the final of the men's discus throw F42 with 46.75 metres.
Iran's Mehrdad Karam Zadeh won the silver medal and China's Wang Lezheng took bronze.
Lombard, who has a right leg amputation, took bronze in his shot put event earlier in the games.
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