Ntando Mahlangu

Ntando Mahlangu (born 26 January 2002) is a South African Paralympic athlete. He won the gold medal in both the men's long jump T63 and men's 200 metres T61 events at the 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo, Japan.

He won the silver medal in the men's 200 metres T42 event at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He is also a two-time medallist at the World Para Athletics Championships.

Personal life Mahlangu was born with fibular hemimelia, which affected the development of both his legs below the knee. In 2012, it was decided to amputate both his legs at the knee.

Career

Early in his career, he competed as a T42-classified athlete. Mahlangu represented South Africa at the 2016 Summer Paralympics held in Rio de Janeiro where he won the silver medal in the men's 200 metres T42 event at the age of 14. He also competed in the men's 100 metres T42 event, where he did not advance to compete in the final. At the beginning of 2018, World Para Athletics implemented classification changes and, as of that year, he competes as a T61-classified athlete, a class specifically for athletes with double above-the-knee amputation.

At the 2019 World Para Athletics Championships in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, he won the gold medal in the men's 200 metres T61 event and finished fourth in the men's long jump T63 event. He qualified to represent South Africa at the 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo, Japan. In April 2021, Mahlangu set a new world record of 22.94 seconds in the men's 200 metres T61 final at the 2021 South African Sports for the Physically Disabled (SASAPD) National Championships in Gqeberha, South Africa.

Mahlangu won the gold medal in the men's long jump T63 event at the 2020 Summer Paralympics held in Tokyo, Japan, setting a new world record of 7.17 m. He also won the gold medal in the men's 200 metres T61 event.

Achievements

Track

Representing 2016 Summer Paralympics Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 2nd 200 m 23.77 s 2017 World Championships London, United Kingdom 2nd 200 m 23.95 s 2019 World Championships Dubai, United Arab Emirates 1st 200 m 23.23 s 2021 Summer Paralympics Tokyo, Japan 1st 200 m 23.59 s

Field

Representing 2019 World Championships Dubai, United Arab Emirates 4th Long jump 5.82 m 2021 Summer Paralympics Tokyo, Japan 1st Long jump 7.17 m