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Louzanne Coetzee back in Bloemfontein!

24 September 2024 | Story Aimée Barlow | Photo Supplied

Louzanne Coetzee - 2024 — Louzanne Coetzee, who made history by clinching South Africa’s second medal at the Paralympics, earning a bronze in the T11 1 500 m women’s final with a personal best time, received a warm reception when she recently returned home.

The celebrated Paralympic bronze medallist Louzanne Coetzee returned home to a warm welcome at the Bram Fischer International Airport on 10 September 2024.

Family, friends, colleagues, Arista students, and media gathered to celebrate her remarkable achievement and show their support.

Coetzee – KovsieSport Coordinator of Parasport at the University of the Free State (UFS) – made history by clinching South Africa’s second medal at the Paralympics, earning a bronze in the T11 1 500 m women’s final with a personal best time. Her dedication and hard work have not only brought her personal glory but have also inspired many in her community.

Among those present to welcome her was Jerry Laka, Director of KovsieSport, who expressed his pride in Coetzee’s accomplishments.

"We as KovsieSport are so proud of our colleague Coetzee. It is amazing to see a product of KovsieSport achieving greatness on the world stage. She is truly an inspiration to us all," said Laka.

“I am so glad to be back, and to have Laka and my colleagues here. It means the world to me. Having Laka here shows his commitment to my career and ParaSport and his staff in general,” shared Coetzee, her gratitude evident.

She further expressed her appreciation for the support she received, stating, “I don’t have the words to describe how thankful I am for the support from the UFS community.”

Coetzee’s return is a proud moment for South Africa and the University of the Free State (UFS) community. Welcome home, Louzanne! Your achievements have made us all proud!

News Archive

Maryka Holtzhausen, Wayde van Niekerk and Driaan Bruwer win Kovsie Sports Star Awards

2014-10-29

Maryka Holtzhausen and Wayde van Niekerk
Photo: Hannes Naude

Our university honoured our top athletic achievers at the annual Kovsie Sports Star Awards that took place on 23 October 2014.

Maryka Holtzhausen and Wayde van Niekerk were named Sportswoman and Sportsman of the Year respectively.

Holtzhausen captained the Protea netball team that participated in a host of test series and championships. These included:
•   a test series against Trinidad & Tobago and England in October last year,
•   the Fast Five World Series in Auckland, New Zealand during November 2013, as well as
•   the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow this year.

Van Niekerk, in turn, set a new SA record in the 400 m of 44.38 at the Diamond League meeting in New York, USA during June 2014. As a member of the Protea team who participated in the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow earlier this year, he won the silver medal in the 400 m sprint. In August 2014, Van Niekerk clinched the silver medal in the 400 m at the CAA Senior African Athletics Championship in Morocco. He also formed part of the CAA African Athletics team who competed in the intercontinental cup meeting during September 2014. The team won gold in the 4x400 m relay at this event.

The Junior Sportsperson for 2014 is Driaan Bruwer. He was a member of the SA U/19 cricket team that won the Junior World Cup this year.

Our university’s sports stars were honoured in the following five categories:

•   Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year. Everyone that represented South Africa at a senior level was eligible for the title. The winners each received a trophy and each sportsman and sportswomen in this category were honoured with a medal.
•   Junior Sportsperson of the Year. The winner received a trophy.
•   Sports stars that represented South Africa at senior and junior level. The achievers received certificates.
•   Sports stars that represented the UFS in the national student teams. These sports stars also received certificates.
•   Certificates were also awarded to the KovsieSport Club sports stars.

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