Ferreira and Vyncke set to compete in finals for Team SA in the swimming pool

By Ayanda Nyuswa

South Africa have two finalists in the swimming pool after Thursday mornings action at the Paralympic games. 26-year old Alani Ferreira set a new African record on her way to qualifying for the final of the Women’s 100m Breastroke SB12, a classification for athletes with visual impairments, as she finished in third position with a time of 1:21.95. Ferreira will return to the swimming pool at 19:26 on Thursday evening for a chance to add to South Africa’s four medals. She will be joined by 17-year old Danika Vyncke who will compete at the Women’s 100m Breastroke S13 final at 19:33 on the same night. Vyncke swam to a fourth-place finish in Heat 1 with the 8th fastest time in the event 1:24.91.

In other races Nathan Hendricks missed out on a spot in the final after finishing seventh in the heat of the Men’s 100m Breastroke SB13. In track and field, Sherly James recorded a 7th placed finish in the Women’s 100m T37 final.

Team South Africa has collected four medals so far at the Paralympic games, and sit in 5th position among African countries. Mpumelelo Mhlongo raced to gold in the Men’s 100m T44, with bronze medals from Louzanne Coetzee (Women’s T11 1500m), Pieter du Preez (Men’s H1 Individual Time trail) and the Wheelchair tennis duo of Donald Ramphadi and Lucas Sithole.