Athens - Teboho Mokgalagadi, with his hair dyed golden, stole the thunder from "Top Gun" Fanie Lombaard with a Paralympic world record gold medal 100m sprint in his first international competition at the Olympic Stadium in Athens on Wednesday night.
Mokgalagadi, a cerebral palsy athlete who hails from Jagersfontein outside Bloemfontein, fell to his knees in elation after equalling his own record of 13.07sec that he set in his heat on Tuesday night.
His gold, together with the discus gold won by Lombaard for one-leg amputees on Wednesday, brought the SA gold-medal tally to seven - five of them from track and field which launched South Africa to second behind China in athletics with three silver and one bronze.
South Africa were 12th on the overall medals table after Wednesday night.
"I just want to tell the people back home that I did this for them," said an ecstatic Mokgalagadi.
"I have always dreamed I could do this. I never lost my dream. I'm proud to be a South African."
Mokgalagadi, a skinny athlete with an awkward gait, shows pure speed when he comes out of the blocks.
He stunned his opposition in the final 50m, beating Jon Halldorsen (Isl) and Chun Wei Li (China) who ran 13.36 and 13.38.
"We still have another chance for gold in the 4 x 100m relay tomorrow," he said.
Lombaard followed up his world record shot-put gold with a below-par 45.56m victory in the discus, claiming his ninth gold medal in three Paralympics. He has also won one silver and a bronze.
"That was my worst competition," said Lombaard, who was fired up to beat 50m for the first time.
"If my coach, Doep du Plessis, was here, I'd be in real trouble.
"I just couldn't find my rhythm and I found the circle really slow.
"I even changed my shoes to try and get more speed, but nothing helped.
"But, you know what? Gold is gold and I'm going to celebrate."
