# South Africa at the 2008 Summer Paralympics

South Africa sent a team to compete at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, China and finished 6th on the medal table.
Natalie du Toit, five time gold medallist at the Athens Paralympics in 2004, competed in six swimming events. She also represented South Africa at the Beijing Olympics. Other members of the swim team included Charl Bouwer, Kevin Paul, Tadgh Slattery, Achmat Hassiem, Shireen Sapiro, Emily Gray, Sarah Shannon, Adri Visser and Beth Nothling. South Africa also sent a swimming official, Sharief Gamiet, to the games.
Oscar Pistorius represented South Africa in athletics.
South African representatives also competed in wheelchair basketball.

## Medalists

The following South African athletes won medals at the games:
| Medal | Name | Sport | Event |
| Gold | Natalie du Toit | Swimming | Women's 100 m freestyle - S9 |
| Gold | Natalie du Toit | Swimming | Women's 400 m freestyle - S9 |
| Gold | Oscar Pistorius | Athletics | Men's 400 m - T44 |
| Gold | Ernst van Dyk | Cycling | Men's individual road race HC C |
| Gold | Shireen Sapiro | Swimming | Women's 100 m backstroke - S9 |
| Gold | Hilton Langenhoven | Athletics | Men's long jump - F12 |
| Gold | Natalie du Toit | Swimming | Women's 100 m butterfly - S9 |
| Gold | Fanie Lombard | Athletics | Men's discus throw - F42 |
| Gold | Charl Bouwer | Swimming | Men's 400 m freestyle - S13 |
| Gold | Natalie du Toit | Swimming | Women's 200 m individual medley - SM9 |
| Gold | Hilton Langenhoven | Athletics | Men's pentathlon - P12 |
| Gold | Philippa Johnson | Equestrian | Individual championship test - grade IV |
| Gold | Philippa Johnson | Equestrian | Individual freestyle test - grade IV |
| Gold | Kevin Paul | Swimming | Men's 100 m breaststroke - S9 |
| Gold | Fanie van der Merwe | Athletics | Men's 100 m - T37 |
| Gold | Oscar Pistorius | Athletics | Men's 100 m - T44 |
| Gold | Hilton Langenhoven | Athletics | Men's 200 m - T12 |
| Gold | Fanie van der Merwe | Athletics | Men's 200 m - T37 |
| Gold | Oscar Pistorius | Athletics | Men's 200 m - T44 |
| Gold | Natalie du Toit | Swimming | Women's 50 m freestyle - S9 |
| Gold | Ilse Hayes | Athletics | Women's long jump - F13 |
| Silver | David Roos | Athletics | Men's long jump - F46 |
| Silver | Riaan Nel | Cycling | Mixed Individual Road race CP 1/CP 2 |
| Silver | Ilse Hayes | Athletics | Women's 100 m - T13 |
| Bronze | Ernst van Dyk | Athletics | Men's marathon - T54 |
| Bronze | Gavin Kilpatrick Michael Thomson | Cycling | Men's sprint (B&VI 1-3) |
| Bronze | Fanie Lombard | Athletics | Men's shot put - F42 |
| Bronze | Nicholas Newman | Athletics | Men's javelin throw - F35/36 |
| Bronze | Tadhg Slattery | Swimming | Men's 100 m breaststroke - S5 |
| Bronze | Teboho Mokgalagadi | Athletics | Men's 100 m - T35 |

## Sports
### Athletics
#### Men's track

| Athlete | Class | Event | Heats | Heats | Semifinal | Semifinal | Final | Final |
| Athlete | Class | Event | Result | Rank | Result | Rank | Result | Rank |
| Arnu Fourie | T44 | 100m | 12.05 | 8 q | — | — | 11.65 | 4 |
| Hilton Langenhoven | T12 | 200m | 22.20 | 1 Q | 22.06 | 1 Q | 21.94 | |
| Teboho Mokgalagadi | T35 | 100m | — | — | — | — | 12.82 | |
| Jonathan Ntutu | T13 | 100m | 11.32 | 5 q | — | — | 11.06 | 5 |
| Jonathan Ntutu | T13 | 200m | 22.71 | 8 Q | — | — | 22.85 | 8 |
| Oscar Pistorius | T44 | 100m | 11.16 =PR | 1 Q | — | — | 11.17 | |
| Oscar Pistorius | T44 | 200m | 22.71 | 1 Q | — | — | 21.67 PR | |
| Oscar Pistorius | T44 | 400m | — | — | — | — | 47.49 WR | |
| David Roos | T46 | 100m | 11.73 | 16 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| David Roos | T46 | 200m | 23.54 | 15 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| Marius Stander | T38 | 200m | 24.35 | 8 Q | — | — | 24.23 | 8 |
| Marius Stander | T38 | 400m | — | — | — | — | 52.56 | 4 |
| Fanie van der Merwe | T37 | 100m | 11.97 PR | 1 Q | — | — | 11.83 PR | |
| Fanie van der Merwe | T37 | 200m | 24.04 PR | 1 Q | — | — | 23.84 WR | |
| Ernst van Dyk | T54 | Marathon | — | — | — | — | 1:23:18 | |

#### Men's field

| Athlete | Class | Event | Final | Final | Final |
| Athlete | Class | Event | Result | Points | Rank |
| Hilton Langenhoven | F12 | Long jump | 7.31 PR | - | |
| Hilton Langenhoven | P12 | Pentathlon | 3403 | 3403 | |
| Fanie Lombaard | F42 | Discus throw | 46.75 | - | |
| Fanie Lombaard | F42 | Shot put | 13.87 | - | |
| Nicholas Newman | F35-36 | Javelin throw | 42.48 SB | 1147 | |
| David Roos | F44/46 | High jump | 1.84 | 920 | 8 |
| David Roos | F46 | Long jump | 6.64 SB | - | |
| Duane Strydom | F35-36 | Discus throw | 36.47 | 1044 | 4 |

#### Women's track

| Athlete | Class | Event | Heats | Heats | Semifinal | Semifinal | Final | Final |
| Athlete | Class | Event | Result | Rank | Result | Rank | Result | Rank |
| Ilse Hayes | T13 | 100m | 12.58 | 2 Q | — | — | 12.45 | |
| Ilse Hayes | T13 | 200m | 26.46 | 5 Q | — | — | 26.22 | 5 |
| Sarisa Marais | T44 | 100m | 15.19 | 11 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| Sarisa Marais | T44 | 200m | — | — | — | — | 30.41 | 7 |

#### Women's field

| Athlete | Class | Event | Final | Final | Final |
| Athlete | Class | Event | Result | Points | Rank |
| Ilse Hayes | F13 | Long jump | 5.68 | - | |
| Zanele Situ | F54-56 | Discus throw | 13.83 SB | 820 | 9 |
| Zanele Situ | F54-56 | Javelin throw | 14.82 | 1012 | 7 |
| Zanele Situ | F54-56 | Shot put | 5.07 | 817 | 12 |
| Chenelle van Zyl | F35-36 | Discus throw | 22.16 | 923 | 6 |
| Chenelle van Zyl | F35-36 | Shot put | 7.42 | 795 | 5 |
| Chenelle van Zyl | F35-38 | Javelin throw | 17.86 SB | 810 | 14 |

### Cycling
#### Men's road

| Athlete | Event | Time | Rank |
| Riaan Nel | Mixed road race | 48:32 | |
| Riaan Nel | Mixed road time trial | 24:23.26 | 5 |
| Janos Plekker | Men's road race CP4 | 2:01:23 | 23 |
| Janos Plekker | Men's road time trial CP4 | 38:43.17 | 8 |
| Ernst van Dyk | Men's road race HC C | 1:21:40 | |
| Ernst van Dyk | Men's road time trial HC C | 21:01.59 | 4 |
| Gavin Kilpatrick Michael Thomson (pilot) | Men's individual road race B&VI 1-3 | 2:29:18 | 12 |
| Gavin Kilpatrick Michael Thomson (pilot) | Men's individual time trial B&VI 1-3 | 36:24.91 | 17 |

#### Women's road

| Athlete | Event | Time | Rank |
| Roxy Burns | Women's road time trial LC1/2/CP4 | 53:07.14 | 10 |
| Susan van Staden | Women's road time trial LC3/4/CP3 | 50:15.34 | 9 |

#### Men's track

| Athlete | Event | Qualification | Qualification | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final |
| Athlete | Event | Time | Rank | Time | Rank | Time | Rank | Opposition Time | Rank |
| Janos Plekker | Men's 1km time trial CP4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1:15.55 | 5 |
| Janos Plekker | Men's individual pursuit CP4 | 3:55.933 | 8 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| Gavin Kilpatrick Michael Thomson | Men's 1km time trial B&VI 1-3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1:04.130 | 4 |
| Gavin Kilpatrick Michael Thomson | Men's individual pursuit B&VI 1-3 | 4:32.191 | 6 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| Gavin Kilpatrick Michael Thomson | Men's sprint | 10.641 | 3 Q | Delaney (IRL) / Peelo (IRL) W 11.529 W 11.728 | Q | Demery (AUS) / Hopkins (AUS) L | q | Oshiro (JPN) / Takahashi (JPN) W 11.517 | |

#### Women's track

| Athlete | Event | Qualification | Qualification | 1st round | 1st round | Final | Final |
| Athlete | Event | Time | Rank | Time | Rank | Opposition Time | Rank |
| Roxy Burns | Women's individual pursuit LC1-2/CP4 | 4:07.368 | 9 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| Roxy Burns | Women's time trial LC1-2/CP4 | — | — | — | — | 38.9 | 6 |
| Susan van Staden | Women's individual pursuit LC3-4/CP3 | 4:44.792 | 9 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| Susan van Staden | Women's time trial LC3-4/CP3 | — | — | — | — | 47.1 | 7 |

### Equestrian
#### Individual events

| Athlete | Horse | Event | Total | Total |
| Athlete | Horse | Event | Score | Rank |
| Mark Frenzel | Waldfee 697 | Mixed individual championship test grade Ia | 52.100 | 12 |
| Mark Frenzel | Waldfee 697 | Mixed individual freestyle test grade Ia | 49.166 | 13 |
| Philippa Johnson | Benedict | Mixed individual championship test grade IV | 69.290 | |
| Philippa Johnson | Benedict | Mixed individual freestyle test grade IV | 77.272 | |
| Marion Milne | Waldfee 697 | Mixed individual championship test grade Ib | 58.095 | 13 |
| Marion Milne | Waldfee 697 | Mixed individual freestyle test grade Ib | 62.333 | 10 |
| Kerry Noble | De Vito | Mixed individual championship test grade II | 51.909 | 17 |
| Kerry Noble | De Vito | Mixed individual freestyle test grade II | 55.053 | 17 |

#### Team

| Athlete | Horse | Event | Individual score | Individual score | Individual score | Total | Total |
| Athlete | Horse | Event | TT | CT | Total | Score | Rank |
| Mark Frenzel | See above | Team | 48.706 | 52.100 | 100.806* | 352.948 | 12 |
| Philippa Johnson | See above | Team | 70.286 | 69.290 | 139.576* | 352.948 | 12 |
| Marion Milne | See above | Team | 54.471 | 58.095 | 112.566* | 352.948 | 12 |
| Kerry Noble | See above | Team | 48.667 | 51.909 | 100.576 | 352.948 | 12 |
* Indicated the three best individual scores that count towards the team total.

### Powerlifting
#### Women

| Athlete | Event | Result | Rank |
| Moekie Grobbelaar | 52kg | 80.0 | 8 |

### Rowing

| Athlete | Event | Heats | Heats | Repechage | Repechage | Final | Final |
| Athlete | Event | Time | Rank | Time | Rank | Time | Rank |
| Jarred Clarke Gordon Eddey Kevin du Toit Kim Robinson Masego Mokhine | Mixed coxed four | 3:42.40 | 7 R | 3:55.03 | 6 FB | 3:51.91 | 2 |

### Swimming
#### Men

| Athlete | Class | Event | Heats | Heats | Final | Final |
| Athlete | Class | Event | Result | Rank | Result | Rank |
| Charl Bouwer | S13 | 100m backstroke | 1:03.76 | 3 Q | 1:03.86 | 4 |
| Charl Bouwer | S13 | 100m butterfly | 1:02.37 | 6 Q | 1:01.72 | 6 |
| Charl Bouwer | S13 | 50m freestyle | 25.41 | 10 | did not advance | did not advance |
| Charl Bouwer | S13 | 100m freestyle | 55.14 | 5 Q | 54.99 | 6 |
| Charl Bouwer | S13 | 400m freestyle | 4:21.58 | 1 Q | 4:14.02 WR | |
| Achmat Hassiem | S10 | 100m butterfly | 1:01.61 | 9 | did not advance | did not advance |
| Kevin Paul | S10 | 400m freestyle | 4:27.57 | 7 Q | 4:27.68 | 7 |
| Kevin Paul | SB9 | 100m breaststroke | 1:08.70 WR | 1 Q | 1:08.58 WR | |
| Kevin Paul | SM10 | 200m individual medley | 2:22.15 | 9 | did not advance | did not advance |
| Tadhg Slattery | SB5 | 100m breaststroke | 1:37.44 | 3 Q | 1:36.11 | |
| Tadhg Slattery | SM6 | 200m individual medley | 3:12.49 | 9 | did not advance | did not advance |

#### Women

| Athlete | Class | Event | Heats | Heats | Final | Final |
| Athlete | Class | Event | Result | Rank | Result | Rank |
| Natalie du Toit | S9 | 100m butterfly | 1:07.08 PR | 1 Q | 1:06.74 WR | |
| Natalie du Toit | S9 | 50m freestyle | 29.45 PR | 1 Q | 29.20 PR | |
| Natalie du Toit | S9 | 100m freestyle | 1:02.19 PR | 1 Q | 1:01.44 PR | |
| Natalie du Toit | S9 | 400m freestyle | 4:24.75 PR | 1 Q | 4:23.81 WR | |
| Natalie du Toit | SM9 | 200m individual medley | 2:30.13 | 1 Q | 2:27.83 WR | |
| Emily Gray | S9 | 100m backstroke | 1:20.01 | 13 | did not advance | did not advance |
| Beth Nothling | S5 | 50m backstroke | 55.88 | 8 Q | 54.29 | 7 |
| Shireen Sapiro | S10 | 100m backstroke | 1:13.04 | 2 Q | 1:10.57 WR | |
| Shireen Sapiro | S10 | 100m butterfly | 1:16.02 | 8 Q | 1:17.07 | 7 |
| Shireen Sapiro | S10 | 50m freestyle | 31.85 | 13 | did not advance | did not advance |
| Shireen Sapiro | S10 | 100m freestyle | 1:08.50 | 13 | did not advance | did not advance |
| Sarah Shannon | S3 | 50m backstroke | 1:14.24 | 6 Q | 1:13.83 | 6 |
| Sarah Shannon | S3 | 50m freestyle | 1:15.59 | 8 Q | 1:13.39 | 7 |
| Adri Visser | S5 | 100m freestyle | 1:49.61 | 11 | did not advance | did not advance |
| Adri Visser | S5 | 200m freestyle | 3:52.72 | 13 | did not advance | did not advance |

### Table Tennis
#### Men

| Athlete | Event | Preliminaries | Preliminaries | Preliminaries | Preliminaries | Round of 16 | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Final / BM | Final / BM |
| Athlete | Event | Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Rank | Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Rank |
| Johan du Plooy | Men's singles C7 | Seidenfeld (USA) L 0-3 | Messi (FRA) L 0-3 | Jurasz (POL) L 1-3 | 4 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| Pieter du Plooy | Men's singles C6 | Rosenmeier (DEN) L 0–3 | Buzin (RUS) L 0–3 | Arguello Garcia (CRC) W 3–0 | 3 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| Johan du Plooy Pieter du Plooy | Men's team C6-8 | No preliminaries | No preliminaries | No preliminaries | No preliminaries | Israel (ISR) L 0-3 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |

#### Women

| Athlete | Event | Preliminaries | Preliminaries | Preliminaries | Preliminaries | Round of 16 | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Final / BM | Final / BM |
| Athlete | Event | Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Rank | Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Rank |
| Alisha Almeida | Women's singles C4 | Zhou Y (CHN) L 0–3 | Gilroy (GBR) L 0–3 | Matic (SRB) L 0–3 | 4 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| Alet Moll | Women's singles C3 | Brunelli (ITA) L 0-3 | Ahlquist (SWE) L 1-3 | Fillou (FRA) L 0-3 | 4 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| Alisha Almeida Alet Moll | Women's team C4-5 | No preliminaries | No preliminaries | No preliminaries | No preliminaries | Jordan (JOR) L 0-3 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |

### Wheelchair Basketball
#### Players

* Justin Govender
* Marcus Retief
* David Curle
* Grant Waites
* Jeremiah Nel
* Marius Papenfus
* Nick Taylor
* Ralph Taylor
* Richard Nortje
* Shaun Hartnick
* Siphamandla Gumbi
* Thandile Zonke
* William Reichart

#### Tournament

Group A Matches
* 7 September 2008 09:00
| Iran (IRI) | 73–62 | South Africa (RSA) |
| Scoring by quarter: 13 - 10, 20 - 18, 23 - 15, 17 - 19 |||
* National Indoor Stadium, Beijing Attendance: 11500 Referees: Max Kindervater (GER)
* 8 September 2008 17:45
| South Africa (RSA) | 55–80 | Canada (CAN) |
| Scoring by quarter: 12 - 25, 12 - 21, 24 - 16, 7 - 18 |||
* National Indoor Stadium, Beijing Attendance: 1376 Referees: Matias Quintana (ARG)
* 9 September 2008 12:15
| Germany (GER) | 96–43 | South Africa (RSA) |
| Scoring by quarter: 21 - 8, 25 - 8, 26 - 10, 24 - 17 |||
* National Indoor Stadium, Beijing Attendance: 1095 Referees: Andre Bosveld (NED)
* 10 September 2008 11:15
| South Africa (RSA) | 64–58 | Sweden (SWE) |
| Scoring by quarter: 11 - 15, 16 - 4, 11 - 13, 26 - 16 |||
* National Indoor Stadium, Beijing Attendance: 7262 Referees: Sergio Giordano (CAN)
* 11 September 2008 12:15
| Japan (JPN) | 60–58 | South Africa (RSA) |
| Scoring by quarter: 15 - 17, 11 - 10, 14 - 16, 20 - 15 |||
* National Indoor Stadium, Beijing Attendance: 1302 Referees: Bill Kuerzi (USA)
Classification 9-12
* 12 September 2008 11:15
| South Africa (RSA) | 67–60 | China (CHN) |
| Scoring by quarter: 13 - 14, 19 - 15, 19 - 27, 16 - 4 |||
* National Indoor Stadium, Beijing Attendance: 8854 Referees: Jonathon Blake Burford (USA)
Ninth place
* 16 September 2008 11:15
| Brazil (BRA) | 68–46 | South Africa (RSA) |
| Scoring by quarter: 19 - 17, 18 - 11, 19 - 9, 12 - 9 |||
* National Indoor Station, Beijing Attendance: 11204 Referees: Bill Kuerzi (USA)

### Wheelchair Tennis
#### Men

| Athlete | Class | Event | Round of 64 | Round of 32 | Round of 16 | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Finals |
| Athlete | Class | Event | Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Opposition Result |
| Sydwell Mathonsi | Open | Men's singles | Batycki (POL) L 2-6, 1-6 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |

#### Women

| Athlete | Class | Event | Round of 32 | Round of 16 | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Finals |
| Athlete | Class | Event | Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Opposition Result |
| Kgothatso Montjane | Open | Women's singles | Verfuerth (USA) L 4-6, 0-6 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |