Pieter du Preez

Nicolas Pieter du Preez (born 1979 or 1980) is a South African athlete in paratriathlon. In 2013, he was the first person with tetraplegia to ever complete an Ironman Triathlon. Du Preez started competing at the Berlin Marathon in 2008 and was a seven-time winner from 2012 to 2018.

Pieter du Preez
Personal information
Birth nameNicolas Pieter du Preez
Nickname(s)Supa Piet
Born1979 or 1980 (age 43–44)
Randburg, South Africa
Sport
CountrySouth Africa
SportParatriathlon
Disability classT51, H1
Medal record
Men's Para-cycling
Representing  South Africa
Paralympic Games
Gold medal – first place2020 TokyoRoad time trial H1
Road World Championships
Gold medal – first place2014 GreenvilleRoad race H1
Gold medal – first place2015 NottwilRoad race H1
Gold medal – first place2015 NottwilTime trial H1
Gold medal – first place2017 PietermaritzburgTime trial H1
Gold medal – first place2021 CascaisRoad race H1
Silver medal – second place2014 GreenvilleTime trial H1
Silver medal – second place2017 PietermaritzburgRoad Race H1
Silver medal – second place2018 ManiagoRoad race H1
Silver medal – second place2018 ManiagoTime trial H1
Silver medal – second place2021 CascaisTime trial H1
Silver medal – second place2022 Baie-ComeauTime trial H1
Bronze medal – third place2019 EmmenTime trial H1
Bronze medal – third place2022 Baie-ComeauRoad race H1
Bronze medal – third place2023 GlasgowRoad race H1

In international events, du Preez competed at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in the 100m event and won gold at the 2020 Summer Paralympics in the time trial as a H1 competitor. At the UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships, he has won five golds as part of his thirteen accumulated medals from 2014 to 2022. Outside of his athletic career, du Preez works in risk assessment as an analyst.

Early life and education

Du Preez was born in 1979 or 1980 and spent his childhood in Randburg, South Africa.[1] He graduated with a Bachelor of Science at the University of Johannesburg and completed an honours degree specializing in investment management.[2]

Career

Athletics

During his childhood, du Preez competed in running, cycling and triathlon. In 2003, he was paralyzed from the chest down after a traffic accident. Du Preez returned to sports in 2005 by competing in wheelchair rugby. He resumed his running career when he ran at the 2008 Berlin Marathon in the T51 event.[2][3] At Berlin, du Preez won his first title in 2012 and retained back to back titles from 2012 to 2018.[4][1]

In other athletic events, du Preez won a silver in the 200m and a bronze in the 100m at the 2011 IPC Athletics World Championships.[5] The following year, du Preez came in 6th place during the Men's 100 metres T51 event at the 2012 Summer Paralympics.[6] After his Paralympic performance, du Preez broke the 10,000 m world record for wheelchair racing in 2015.[7] That same year, he also set new African athletic records in 200 m, 1500 m, and 10,000 m.[8] During his triathlon career, du Preez was the first person with tetraplegia to ever complete an Ironman Triathlon in 2013.[9] In 2018, he participated at the Ironman 70.3 World Championships.[10] At the 2023 World Para Athletics Championships as a T51 competitor, du Preez was seventh in the 200m and eighth in the 100m.[11][12]

Cycling

In cycling, du Preez won multiple gold and silver medals at the UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships. His first medals were in 2014 where he was second in time trial and won the road race event. The following year, du Preez won both the time trial and road race events at the 2015 UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships.[5] During the 2017 UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships, du Preez won gold in time trial and silver in road race.[13] In 2018, he won a silver medal in the road race and time trial events.[14]

For the 2019 edition, du Preez won a bronze in time trial and was sixth in road race.[15][16] For the 2021 UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships, du Preez won gold in the road race and silver in the time trial events.[17][18] At the 2020 Summer Paralympics held in 2021, du Preez won gold at the time trial for H1 competitors.[19] At the Paralympics, du Preez was also eighth at the road race for H1-2 cyclists.[20] During the 2022 UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships, du Preez won silver in the time tiral and bronze in the road race for H1 competitors.[21] Outside of sports, du Preez is a risk assessment analyst.[22]

Awards and honors

In 2016, du Preez was nominated for the Laureus World Sports Award for Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability.[23]

Personal life

Prior to competing at the Summer Paralympics in 2021, du Preez broke his coracoid process and acromioclavicular joint from a fall. Du Preez is married and has one child.[24]

References
  1. "Du Preez to miss OCC this year". Mossel Bay Advertiser. 18 July 2019. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
  2. "SupaPiet: Making the Impossible Possible!". Modern Athlete. 1 August 2013. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
  3. "Du Preez wins a fourth title at Berlin Marathon". South African Sports Confederation & Olympic Committee. 30 September 2015. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
  4. Vivier, Tyler Leigh (21 September 2018). "South African wins 7th International para-cycle race in a row, inspiring all!". Good Things Guy. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
  5. "DU PREEZ Pieter". International Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on 8 October 2018. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
  6. "Du Preez sixth in T51 final". sport24. 3 September 2012. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
  7. "Disability gives para-cyclist Pieter du Preez the ability to inspire". in the Bunch. 30 August 2017. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
  8. Haden, Alexis (2 March 2016). "South Africa's Pieter du Preez nominated for prestigious Laureus award". The South African. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
  9. Lulham, Amanda (9 December 2013). "Pieter Du Preez, first quadriplegic to finish ironman, wants to compete in ironman triathlon". The Daily Telegraph (Sydney). Retrieved 7 May 2018.
  10. Mphande, Hendrick (4 September 2018). "Quadriplegic Ironman shows his steel". Herald Live. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
  11. "Paris 2023 Para Athletics World Championships Men's 200m T51 Final" (PDF). International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 19 August 2023.
  12. "Paris 2023 Para Athletics World Championships Men's 100m T51 Final" (PDF). International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 19 August 2023.
  13. "Redemption for Du Preez as he wins para-cycling road world title". In the Bunch. 7 September 2017. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
  14. "Pieter du Preez picked up two silver medals at Para-cycling World Champs". Into Cycling. 16 October 2018. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
  15. "Italy storm up the medal table at the 2019 UCI Para-Cycling Road World Championships". Union Cycliste Internationale. 14 September 2019. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
  16. "UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships - Emmen (Road)". Union Cycliste Internationale. Individual Road Race - Emmen - 11 Sep 2019. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
  17. "Mazzone makes it three out of three on memorable final day of UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships". Union Cycliste Internationale. 13 June 2021. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  18. "Individual Time Trial - Cascais - 09 Jun 2021". Union Cycliste Internationale. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  19. Lemke, Gary (31 August 2021). "Paracyclist Pieter du Preez survives brush with disaster to bask in glory of fulfilling golden dream". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
  20. "Cycling Road Men's H1-2 Road Race" (PDF). International Olympic Committee. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 September 2021. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
  21. "2022 UCI Para-Cycling Road World Championships - Baie-Comeau (Road)". Union Cycliste Internationale. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
  22. "Pieter du Preez claims triathlon world first". Go Multi. 3 June 2013. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
  23. "Laureus World Sports 2016 winners & nominees". Laureus World Sports Awards. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
  24. "Tokyo Paralympics: South Africa's Du Preez lands childhood dream". BBC Sport. 31 August 2020. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
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