For one incredible moment at the Stade de France in Paris on Friday night, the entire stadium’s attention was on a 19-year-old South African as she confidently entered the discus circle.
Every other Paralympic event had come to an end for the evening and Simoné Kruger already knew she had secured the gold medal in the F38 event because her closest challenger, Yingli Li of China had fallen just six cm short of the South African’s third-round effort and new Paralympic record of 38.70, with her final throw.
That left Kruger as the last competitor of the night, with the entire stadium watching and cheering her on.
While she didn’t further her previous best effort, that was of little consequence as she had already secured Team South Africa’s second gold of the Games.
Li took the silver with her 38.64m throw and Colombia’s Xiomara Saldarriaga Hernandez the bronze after her fourth-round effort of 38.36m.
Strains of Johnny Clegg’s Asimbonanga rang out across the stadium as Kruger ran to embrace her dad and coach, Andries, in the stands, before heading to her mom and sister who had ventured on their first overseas trip to come and watch her in action.
“I think that’s an amazing first trip! I had a great evening with them also – It just made me feel so much more relaxed… it was just amazing for them to be in the stadium.”
2024 Paris Paralympic Games F38 Discus Gold Medalist, Simoné Kruger
Kruger was overwhelmed by what she described as the biggest crowd she’d ever seen.
“I couldn’t actually hear myself, it was so loud but it was so amazing… The bigger the crowd, the more exciting it is for me,” she said.
“To be in a crowd that’s what 70 thousand people, that was just amazing. I’ve never felt like that. So I want to say to all the French people, to all the supporters, to everyone that was in the stadium, thank you so much. You made this event such an amazing thing for me.”
The Pretoria thrower, who suffered a stroke that affected the right side of her body while still in her mother’s womb, also paid tribute to several others who couldn’t be in the stadium on Friday night.
Her eyes welled up as she explained: “I want to give a big shout-out to my [former] coach who recently passed away. He was definitely one of the main people that I wanted this medal for because it was one of his biggest goals to have an Olympic or Paralympic medallist. So Pierre Blignaut, this is for you.”
“This is also for my grandfather who passed away, who helped me get into this event, and for my biggest, biggest supporter, my grandmother who also passed away when I was in Grade 6.”
Incredibly, Grade 6 was just two years before Kruger broke her first world record in the discus, then going on to claim two world titles with another two world records. Now the 19-year-old can add yet another accolade to her impressive résumé – Paralympic champion.
Meanwhile, the evening prior’s events ended with Alani Ferreira was holding back the tears as she emerged from the pool deck after her SB12 100m breaststroke final which was won in world record time by three-time world champion Elena Krawzow of Germany.
Heading in as a world championships bronze medallist, the Pietermaritzburg swimmer had set her sight on a first podium place at her third Paralympics. But it was not to be as Ferreira finished fifth in 1 minute 21.36 seconds.
The time was, at least some consolation, however, as it was her second African record of the day, having achieved the feat in the morning’s heats as well.
“[I feel] very sore. I definitely gave it my all, so that’s all I could ask for. I went in trying my best and that’s exactly what I gave, so I’m happy with the time.”
Swimming in the race just after hers was 17-year-old Danika Vyncke, who finished eighth in the SB13 100m breaststroke in a time of 1:23.81 – over a second quicker than she’d swum in her morning heat.
Ferreira was full of praise for her teammate afterwards saying: “The amount of talent she has is actually incredible, so in four years’ time she is going to be smashing it.”
“She said to me the other day that this has been a goal for only a year, so she can’t wait to have that four-year cycle and I think once she does, oh my goodness, these other S13 girls are going to have to swim fast,” added Ferreira.
Vyncke, meanwhile, was simply taking in the experience and making the most of her first Paralympic final.
Speaking after the race, she said: “I’m happy with the time, it was a fun swim. I really just went out there and enjoyed it.”
The visually impaired Vryheid swimmer was equally full of praise for Ferreira: “I love Alani. I mean, she’s truly an inspiration. I really look up to her, and I’m excited to grow. I’ve got a lot of experience through this, I’m so excited for the future and ready to work very hard.”
While she described the final as the highlight of her first Paralympic experience, she also threw in a mention of the now-famous chocolate muffins on offer in the athletes village. Having held back, Vyncke was looking forward to finally indulging.
“I had one in the beginning, but now [teammate] Nathan [Hendricks] brought me two.”
Meanwhile, earlier in the day, over at the Stade de France athletics track, Sheryl James lined up for the T37 100m final. She couldn’t quite match the speed of Wednesday night’s heats, finishing eighth in a time of 13.90 seconds. The gold was won by China’s Xiaoyan Wen in a new Paralympic record of 12.52.
That brought an end to Tokyo bronze medallist James’s Paralympic campaign having finished fourth in the 400m and seventh in the 200m.
Original Copy: Karien Jonckheere, with editing by gsport
Main Photo Caption: Paris 2024 F38 Discus Champion Simoné Kruger was celebrated by the whole crowd’s support at the Stade de France athletics track as she won gold for South Africa with a New Paralympic Record at the Stade de France on Friday, 6 September, 2024. Photo: Roger Sedres/TeamSA
Photo 2 Caption: Kruger thanked coach Pierre Blignaut, her grandfather and her biggest supporter, her grandmother, who have passed in recent years. Photo: Andries Kruger
Photo 3 Caption: “That was just amazing” – Kruger of the 70-thousand strong crowd that supported her new Paralympic Games record achievement. Photo: Roger Sedres/TeamSA
Photo 4 Caption: Champion SA swimmer Alani Ferreira set her second African record of Thursday in the SB12 100m breaststroke final. Photo: Roger Sedres/TeamSA
Photo 5 Caption: Danika Vyncke finished eighth in the SB13 100m breaststroke final, more than a second quicker than in her morning heat. Photo: Roger Sedres/TeamSA
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