{{short description|South African Paralympic athlete}} {{Other people|Coetzee|Coetzee}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox sportsperson | name = Louzanne Coetzee | image = | alt = | caption = | national_team = South Africa | birth_date = {{Birth-date and age|18 April 1993}} | birth_place = Bloemfontein, South Africa | height = 1.54 m | weight = 48 kg | country = {{RSA}} | sport = Para Athletics | disability_class = T11 | club = University of the Free State of Bloemfontein | coach = Girda Siebert | medaltemplates = {{Medal|Sport|Paralympic athletics}} {{Medal|Country|{{RSA}}}} {{MedalCompetition | Paralympic Games }} {{MedalSilver| 2020 Tokyo | 1500 m T11 }} {{MedalBronze| 2020 Tokyo | Marathon T12 }} {{MedalBronze|2024 Paris|1500 m T11}} {{MedalCompetition|World Championships}} {{MedalSilver|2023 Paris|1500 m T11}} {{MedalBronze|2024 Kobe|1500 m T11}} }}
'''Louzanne Coetzee''' (born 18 April 1993) is a South African para-athlete.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Athletics - COETZEE Louzanne |url=https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/paralympic-games/en/results/athletics/athlete-profile-n1337758-coetzee-louzanne.htm |work=Tokyo 2020 Paralympics |publisher=Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games |access-date=30 August 2021 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210830171952/https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/paralympic-games/en/results/athletics/athlete-profile-n1337758-coetzee-louzanne.htm |archive-date=30 August 2021}}</ref>
==Career== Coetzee was born blind as a result of a hereditary condition called Leber congenital amaurosis and competes in the T11 disability class, for athletes with the highest level of visual impairment.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Louzanne Coetzee |url=https://www.ufs.ac.za/alumni/alumni-awards/winners-2018-2019/louzanne-coetzee |website=ufs.ac.za |access-date=30 August 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Louzanne Coetzee Biography |url=https://www.paralympic.org/louzanne-coetzee |website=Paralympic.org |publisher=International Paralympic Committee}}</ref> In 2017, Coetzee broke the 5000 m (women) world record in her disability class,<ref name="news24">{{Cite web |url=http://m.news24.com/news24/SouthAfrica/News/watch-i-dont-understand-sa-guide-for-blind-runner-on-disqualification-at-paralympics-20160923 |title=WATCH : 'I don't understand' - SA guide for blind runner on disqualification at Paralympics | News24 |website=m.news24.com |access-date=30 October 2017}}</ref> while in April 2018 she became the first visually impaired athlete to compete at the World University Cross Country Championships in Switzerland.<ref>{{Cite web |title=More Records for Louzanne Coetzee, a history-making South Africa star |url=https://www.fisu.net/news/nusf-news/more-records-for-louzanne-coetzee-a-history-making-south-africa-star |website=fisu.net |access-date=30 August 2021}}</ref>
Coetzee competed at the 2016 Summer Paralympics representing South Africa in the Women's 1500 metres.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.enca.com/sport/sa-para-athlete-coetzee-makes-up-for-rio-disappointment-with-world-best-in-bloem |title=SA para athlete Coetzee makes up for Rio disappointment with 'world best' in Bloem |website=enca.com |access-date=30 October 2017}}</ref> She was, however, disqualified when her guide, Khotatso Mokone, was deemed to have provided illegal assistance.<ref name="news24" />
In 2021, Coetzee competed at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, winning the silver medal in the 1500 m final in a new Africa record of 4:40.96 and the bronze medal in the T12 women's marathon in a new T11 world record time of 3:11:13.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lemke |first=Gary |date=30 August 2021 |title=TOKYO 2020: Pace and planning come together as Coetzee clinches silver in Paralympics 1,500m |url=https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2021-08-30-pace-and-planning-come-together-as-coetzee-clinches-silver-in-paralympics-1500m/ |website=Daily Maverick |access-date=30 August 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Athletics - Final Results |url=https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/paralympic-games/en/results/athletics/result-women-s-marathon-t12-fnl-000100-.htm |work=Tokyo 2020 Paralympics |publisher=Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games |access-date=5 September 2021 |archive-date=4 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210904232400/https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/paralympic-games/en/results/athletics/result-women-s-marathon-t12-fnl-000100-.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>
== References == {{Reflist|30em}}
== External links == * {{IPC|louzanne-coetzee}} * {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107011527/https://m.paralympic.org/asp/lib/TheASP.asp?pageid=8937&sportid=513&personid=1181424 |date=7 November 2017 |title=Profile at Paralympic org}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Coetzee, Louzanne}} Category:1993 births Category:Living people Category:South African women middle-distance runners Category:South African women marathon runners Category:Paralympic athletes for South Africa Category:Athletes from Bloemfontein Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2016 Summer Paralympics Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2020 Summer Paralympics Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2024 Summer Paralympics Category:Medalists at the World Para Athletics Championships Category:Medalists at the 2020 Summer Paralympics Category:Medalists at the 2024 Summer Paralympics Category:Paralympic silver medalists for South Africa Category:Paralympic bronze medalists for South Africa Category:Paralympic medalists in athletics (track and field) Category:21st-century South African sportswomen