German relay team, Ilse Hayes among award recipients
29.11.2016German and South African Paralympians were recognised for their 2016 achievements.
![Markus Rehm, David Behre, Felix Streng and Johannes Floors of Germany - Rio 2016 Markus Rehm, David Behre, Felix Streng and Johannes Floors of Germany celebrate after winning the gold medal in the Men's 4x100m - T42-47 final at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.](https://oldwebsite.paralympic.org/sites/default/files/styles/mainpicture_612/public/images/20161129/161129112250973_GettyImages-603230572.jpg?itok=rQuKE-Ow)
The Germany 4x100m relay team, and South African sprinters Charl du Toit and Ilse Hayes were among the Paralympians awarded for their achievements in 2016.
Double-Paralympic gold medallist Toit was named the South Africa Sports Awards Sportsman of the Year with a Disability, during a ceremony on Sunday (27 November) in Bloemfontein. The 23-year-old won the men’s 100m and 400m T37 events, setting the world record in the 100m, at Rio 2016. His compatriot Hayes captured silvers in the women’s 100m and 400m T13 events to be named Sportswoman of the Year. Teenage sprinter Ntando Mahlangu scooped up Newcomer of the Year for his Paralympic silver medal in the men’s 200m T42
The National Paralympic Committee (NPC) of Germany also had an awards ceremony on Saturday (26 November) at the German Sports and Olympic Museum in Cologne.
The men’s 4x100m relay team, Vanessa Low and Niko Kappel were among those honoured.
Low was given the Disabled Sportswoman of the Year after leaping to gold in the women’s T42 with a world record 4.93m at Rio 2016. The 26-year-old rounded off the Games with silver in the 100m T42.
Kappel captured gold in his Paralympic debut, winning the men’s shotput F41, thus being tapped Disabled Sportsman of the Year.
The quartet of David Behre, Johannes Floors, Markus Rehm and Felix Streng were named Disabled Team of the Year after winning gold in the men’s 4x100m relay at Rio 2016. They sprinted to the finish with a Paralympic record and a new European record in 40.82 seconds. It came after the US team was disqualified.
NPC Germany also recognised canoeist Tom Kierey, 22, with the Talent Award. In the sport’s Paralympic debut, Kierey took on the men’s KL3 but missed out on gold by .09 seconds to Ukrainian Serhii Yemelianov. However, Kierey said his performance sends "a clear message for Tokyo."