Fanie Lombard may not be as popular as compatriots Natalie du Toit and Oscar Pistorius, but his Paralympic achievements are a force to be reckoned with.
The four-time Paralympic thrower bagged gold -- his 12th Paralympic medal -- in the men's discus F42 Tuesday morning, entrenching his position as the most decorated South African athlete with eight gold, two silver and two bronze.
South Africa's Fanie Lombard throws on his way to gold during the men's discus F42 final. [Xinhua]
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With a 46.75m throw on his second attempt, the veteran beat Iranian Mehrdad Karam Zadeh and China's Wang Lezheng, securing gold after the bronze he won a week ago in shot put.
"The competition has been incredible, and I didn't expect to win," said a modest Lombard shortly after the victory.
The 39-year-old particularly credits his success in Beijing to his family.
"I actually retired after the Athens Paralympics four years ago. But my daughter, who plays sport on the national team, encouraged me to come back again," he said.
Lombard used to be a professional rugby player on the South African team but a severe sports injury during a 1993 competition resulted in the loss of one of his legs from the knee down.
Just a year after having his leg amputated, he made the transition to Paralympic sport, winning his first gold at the 1996 Atlanta Games.
"It has just gotten better and better," he said. "Now, in Beijing, I'm not holding back."
Mulling the next four years leading up to the London Paralympics, Lombard said he has no specific plans in mind yet.
"Four years is a long time. Whether I'll be there as an athlete myself is still to be decided," he said. "Perhaps, I will prepare myself as a coach then."