University of the Free State student wins SA’s first medal at World Para Athletics Championships in Paris

Louzanne Coetzee, residence head at Akasia residence, and coordinator of parasport for KovsieSport, University of the Free State (UFS) recently scored a silver medal at the World Para Athletics Championships 2023 in Paris, France.

Her medal – in the women’s T11 1 500-metre race – was the first for South Africa at the Championships, which took place from 8 to 17 July and were attended by around 1 300 competitors from 107 countries. It is regarded as the second-most important competition in the world of paralympic athletics, after the Paralympic Games. “It was a great honour to be at the games representing UFS and SA at large,” Coetzee said after her win.

Injured but battled on

The blind runner was satisfied with her second-place finish in the race, and her time of 4:48.13. “I have been battling with injury, I had torn some ligaments in my foot, so under the circumstances I can say I am happy with my time,” she said, adding that she feels like the Championships were good preparation for the Paralympic Games, also set to take place in Paris in 2024. “My track season for 2023 has come to an end, and now I’ll be focusing on rehabilitating my injury. I will, however, also be doing some road races after recovery when I get back to SA, for example the Spar races in Johannesburg.”

October surprise

A jubilant Coetzee said her current focus is on the month of October. “This season has been long and demanding. Credit also goes to my guide, Estean Badenhorst, who I’ve been working tirelessly with. However, I am getting married during October, and right now my head is there. I must say, I am very excited.”
She applauded the UFS community and the whole country for the endless support. “Words cannot express how much the support from SA means to me. I truly appreciate the support from the UFS community too. I feel like UFS has more than prepared me whatever comes next.”