#Paralympics: Tears from Buis as he strikes gold

File photo: South Africa's Dyan Buis during the 100m final of the Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro.

File photo: South Africa's Dyan Buis during the 100m final of the Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro.

Published Sep 18, 2016

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Rio de Janeiro - There were tears from Dyan Buis after he had won gold in the 400-metres on Saturday night, the emotions of what he said had been a very hard four years bursting through on the last day of competition at the Olympic Stadium.

He broke the 16-year-old Paralympic record of 50.30 seconds, set by Australian Tim Sullivan in Sydney in 2000. His 49.96secs saw off China’s Jianwen Hu (50.27secs) and Cuba’s Weiner Diaz Mosquera (51.44secs). World record holder Farhat Chida of Tunisia could only manage fourth. It was a second medal for Buis, who took bronze in the long jump.

There would have been more tears from Buis a little later as his training partner, Hilton Langenhoven, won silver in the 200m for the visually impaired just over an hour later to give South Africa 17 medals with one day of the Games left.

“I was quite emotional after the race because I knew that we worked hard this season and to get a race like that tonight was marvellous,” said Buis, who has cerebral palsy. “I think the lane draw was perfect for me and I just fed off the runners in the front. I knew that the Tunsian and the Chinese man would go out hard, but I was patient. I told myself, you are going to attack the last 200m, and I applied my plan that I had before the race.

“I have to give credit to my coach, Suzaan Ferreira, and the team around me, my physio as well as other stakeholders that helped my preparation. I wanted to run this race for my wife and my little daughter as well. I had a huge motivation for this race. I don’t think it’s just smiling. I think it’s gratitude. It was all tears when I finished.”

Buis was uncertain as to whether this would be his last Paralympics. He now has five medals and at 25 has age on his side. However, he was going to be looking for a job, he said.

“I’m going to take it as it comes. I’m not thinking about 2020 now, but next year I’m going to focus on being a teacher and finishing my honours degree in education. So this is also a invitation for schools: I need a job, so come on guys.

“I’m a very happy man. These last four years have not been the easiest four years of my life. There has been a lot of transition taking place, but at the end of the day I am very happy with today’s result and the way I have performed through the rest of the Games.”

At the age of 33, Langenhoven has had a Paralympics he will look back on with some pride. He was disqualified for stepping out of his lane in the 400m semifinal early on in the competition, but made up for that with gold in the long jump and a fine silver on Saturday night. Leinier Savon Pineda (22.43secs) beat him by just two tenths of a second. Mahadi Afri of Tunisia took the bronze.

IOL Sport

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