Sheryl James

Sheryl James ensured Team SA’s medal tally kept ticking over when she powered her way to a bronze at a wet Olympic Stadium. Photo: Twitter @TeamSA2020

Sheryl James makes it medal number FIVE for Team SA at Tokyo Paralympics

Sheryl James ensured Team SA’s medal tally kept ticking over when she powered her way to a bronze at a wet Olympic Stadium.

Sheryl James

Sheryl James ensured Team SA’s medal tally kept ticking over when she powered her way to a bronze at a wet Olympic Stadium. Photo: Twitter @TeamSA2020

Sheryl James ensured Team SA’s medal tally kept ticking over when she powered her way to a bronze at a wet Olympic Stadium on Tuesday night, to add final gloss to a day in which Pieter du Preez won the country’s third gold medal of the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics.

PICTURE | PROUDLY SA! IS THIS THE MOST INSPIRATIONAL, FEEL GOOD PHOTO EVER TAKEN?

James, who had narrowly missed out on a medal in the 200m, made no mistake in the final of the women’s 400m (T37), and was never out of the first three as she went over the line in 1:03.82. That was a personal best, while Liezel Gouws crossed the finish in a season’s best 1:06.85.

Afterwards, Sheryl James said that she hadn’t run too often in the wet, and “not on a tartan track”.

She was upbeat and gave herself a “10 out of 10” for her Tokyo experience.

READ | TATJANA SCHOENMAKER SWIMS HER WAY TO R850 000!

“I came to make a final, break my PB and win a medal and I have achieved all three across the 200 and 400m, so I’m happy. I still have the 100m in the morning to come.”

Earlier, Du Preez won Team SA’s fourth medal at when he claimed gold in the men’s cycling (H1) time trial at Fuji Speedway.

The South African was ahead of the clock, and the opposition, from the start and the only scare he encountered was when he narrowly missed colliding with an opponent ahead of him who was exiting the track, having completed his event.

READ | NZ DISH OUT BRUTAL WAKE-UP CALL TO SA AT TOKYO OLYMPICS

HOW TEAM SA FARED ON TUESDAY

ATHLETICS
Women’s 100m (T13), heats:
 Johanna Pretorius finished third in a personal-best 12.41 to progress to the evening final.
Women’s 100m (T13), final: Pretorius again produced a personal best as she finished fifth in 12.33.
Women’s 100m (T47), heats: Paralympic 400m gold medallist Anrune Weyers finished fourth in a season’s best 12.66, but missed out on a place in the evening final.
Men’s 400m (T38), final: Dyan Buis, the gold medallist from Rio 2016, finished fifth in 51.39, after showing up well in the first half of the race before tiring in the last 200m.
Women’s 400m (T37), final: Sheryl James took bronze in 1:03.82 and Liezel Gouws finished fifth in 1:06.85.

CYCLING
Men’s H5 time trial, final:
 Ernst van Dyk finished ninth in 44:34.88 at the Fuji Speedway. “After one-and-a-half laps I knew that I wasn’t going to medal so I used the race to settle the nerves ahead of Wednesday’s road race.”
Men’s H1 time trial, final: Pieter Kruger added the Paralympic title to his World Championship gold medal as he won impressively in 43:49.41.
Women’s T1-2 time trial, final: Toni Mould finished 10th after going round the Fuji Speedway circuit in 53:46.89.

SWIMMING
Men’s 50m freestyle (S7), heats:
 Christian Sadie finished fourth in his heat in 29.22, but missed out on a place in the final.