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Overwhelmed, says Louzanne about her Paralympic medal

30 August 2021 | Story Ruan Bruwer | Photo Roger Sedres (Gallo Images)

Lozanne Coetzee_Gallo read more — Louzanne Coetzee and her guide Estean Badenhorst won the silver medal in the 1 500 m in a new African time at the Paralympics in Tokyo on Monday.

It’s been eight years of waiting, but Louzanne Coetzee will finally hang a medal around her neck, and this on the biggest sporting stage in the world.

Coetzee won the silver medal in the 1 500 m women’s T11 final at the Paralympics in Tokyo on Monday (30 August 2021) morning. In the process, she and her guide, Estean Badenhorst, set a new African record (4:40.96).

They are both former University of the Free State (UFS) students, and Coetzee is a resident on the Bloemfontein Campus.

“I have been competing for eight years and this is my first medal. I’m just overwhelmed. I couldn’t have asked for a better race, a better guide, and better preparation. I’m just very thankful for how everything went down,” Coetzee said.

The race took place at 32 degrees with a humidity percentage of 70 plus. Coetzee’s time was only 2.04 seconds off the previous world record.

She has had a stunning Games so far. In Sunday’s heat, she improved her personal best from 4:51.65 to 4:49.24 and ran another eight seconds quicker on Monday.

It was also a personal triumph for Coetzee, who experienced the disappointment of being disqualified five years ago at the Rio Games, after a ruling that her guide had stepped in front of her.

Prof Francis Petersen, UFS Rector and Vice-Chancellor, saluted Coetzee. “We are tremendously proud of what she has achieved throughout her athletics career. She has represented the country numerous times at international sport events and winning a silver medal and setting a new African record is the culmination of hard work and exceptional endurance.”

“The entire university community was rooting for her; she has done us and her country extremely proud,” Prof Petersen said.

Coetzee still has the T12 marathon on Sunday on her schedule.

News Archive

UFS offers first structured Master’s degree in Social Cohesion and Reconciliation in South Africa

2015-06-26

The University of the Free State’s (UFS) Institute for Reconciliation and Social Justice (IRSJ) will offer the first structured Master’s degree in Social Cohesion and Reconciliation in South Africa from 2016.

This unique degree – MRecon&SocCoh – will advance scholarship and practice in the fields of Reconciliation, Social Cohesion, and Social Justice. This programme responds to various challenges facing contemporary societies regionally, nationally, and internationally, as expressed in the South African National Development Plan (NDP).

The programme is open to all students with background studies in the Economic, Management, Natural, Social, and Health Sciences, as well as students with qualifications in the Humanities, Law, Education, and Theology. Students and practitioners in the heritage, development, human rights, transitional justice, and peace sectors, as well as candidates from the cultural and creative industries, will also benefit from this degree.

This programme is ideally suited for persons working in public and private institutions, community and non-governmental organisations, social movements, regional and transnational structures, and those pursuing careers across a variety of social-justice-related fields.

For more information on admission requirements, the structure of the degree, costs, and how to apply, please visit http://institute.ufs.ac.za or contact Joe Besigye at besigyejb@ufs.ac.za; Dr Willy Nel at nelwn@ufs.ac.za; or Professor André Keet at keeta@ufs.ac.za.

Closing date for applications: 31 August 2015

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