Hilton Langenhoven has known struggle and pain during his life and his career. On Saturday, as the late morning sun found some purchase over the clouds that have set in over Rio since these Games have begun, the pain and struggle faded as he won gold in the long jump for the second time.
His jump of 7.07-metres came in his third attempt, and it was tested. Langenhoven, who has can only see objects that are three-metres away from him, would have listened to the distance of each jump as it came in with much trepidation.
Kamil Aliyev of Azerbaijan had taken the lead with 7.05m on his second jump. Then there was a 7.04 from Doniyor Saliev of Uzbekistan, but they could not get past him. In the last round, Langenhoven was due to be the last to jump. First Aliyev, third last to go, lost his way as he hit the take-off and aborted.
Then Saliev got his stride wrong and ran through the sand, collapsing on the track as he knew his chance to win had gone, tears and sobs holding him down.
Langenhoven seemed to struggle to believe it. He had had a bad night in the 400m semifinal, disqualified for stepping out of his lane a few days past.
Some spoke of his best days being past him, but he was not done. Indeed, Langenhoven did just one thing wrong when he won gold – he held the South African flag the wrong way round. He was quickly corrected by someone in the crowd.
“It’s absolutely amazing when I think about the agony I put my family through, the whole team and the country,” said Langenhoven.
“The Paralympics are so limited so if you're selected, you have to make it count. I'm glad this one was counted as a gold medal for our team.”
Langenhoven admitted he cried himself to sleep after he his 400m mistake. That had been his main event and he was heartbroken that he had missed the chance.
He defended his long jump title as the event was not held in London in 2012. The Paralympics sometimes “rests” events from certain categories for a Games to give other distances and events a chance.
Langenhoven has been tested more than most. He was born an albino and is the only one in his family with impaired vision.
When he was a kid, he kept asking his family and friends why he was vision-impaired and an albino. On Saturday, the white black kid with the foggy sight could see all the way back to the Cape where his family would have had eyes bright with joy.
In Beijing Langenhoven, achieved the remarkable feat of winning medals in the 200m, long jump and pentathlon, the first time a South African athlete had won medals on the track and the field. It was described as the performance of the 2008 Games.
“In 2008 when I came home from Beijing, people didn't know my name. They know me as an albino individual, a vision impaired individual who has done the nation proud. And through that, perception is changing regarding disabilities. It’s absolutely fantastic and if we can contribute to that going forward.”
On the third day of the Games, on water, land and, through Langenhoven, air, the South African Paralympics team were on fire.
Marco Galeone, the head coach of the rowing team is an emotional man at the best of times, but after South Africa’s mixed coxed fours of Lucy Perold, Dieter Roslee, Shannon Murray, Dylan Trollope and cox Willie Morgan had rowed magnificently to make today’s A final, he said his heart was full.
The team had finished third on the heats on Friday and were second in yesterday’s repechage, beating the Australian boat.
“I’m so proud of what they have done,” said Galeone. “I am overwhelmed by them. The had a hard race in the first heat. To do this is incredible. I am so full of emotions for them. This is so special.”
Sandra Khumalo was fourth in her repechage to qualify for the B final in the single sculls in the rowing.
Lucas Sithole beat Brazilian Ymanitu Silva 7-5, 6-3 to go through to the wheelchair tennis semifinals, Kgothatso Montjane rolled through Japan’s Miho Nijo 6-2, 6-1, while Charl du Toit, Fanie van der Merwe and Ilse Hayes were first, second and first respectively in their heats to qualify for their 100m finals today.
Du Toit broke his own world record with an 11.42second, 0.01 better than his previous time. He dedicated the record to his uncle Johan, who passed away after having been shot in a house robbery. His uncle had been in ICU for three months and passed away on the eve of his departure for the Games.
Independent Media