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Louzanne wins bronze at World Champs in Kobe─── MORGAN PIEK 09:56 Sun, 19 May 2024
The Paralympian from Bloemfontein, Louzanne Coetzee, has won the bronze medal in the T11 1500m at the World Para Athletics Championship in Kobe, Japan.
On Friday, Coetzee, qualified for the final by running the third fastest time in the heats with 4:53.01. There first two runners and guides in the two heats automatically advanced. While her third place time in Heat 1 was a lot faster than the winning time in Heat 2, she advanced as the fastest qualifier.
The final on Saturday saw Yayesh Gate Tesgaw of Ethiopia and her guide Kindu Sisay Girma winning the gold in a world record time of 4:31.77. Shanshan He of China and her guide You Junjie took the silver medal in 4:34.12,
Coetzee, who won the silver medal during the 2020 Paralympics in Tokyo, and her guide (and brother-in-law), Estean Badenhorst, ran a season's best time of 4:50.78 to clinch the bronze.
Coetzee’s next big challenge to back-up her silver from Tokyo with another silver or better at the 2024 Paralympics that will take place in Paris in August.
Morgan Piek OFM Sport
