When Ntando Mahlangu jumped 7.17 metres, setting a world record to win gold in the long jump at the Paralympic Games there, was a moment of shocked silence in a house 13 498km away from Tokyo.Neil Cornelius could not believe what he had witnessed. But the moment the result flashed on the television screen, he went berserk. It was with just reason. His athlete had won.

"I yelled. I think it might be the loudest yell ever. My wife rushed over to see if I was OK, explained Cornelius, who had been coaching Mahlangu via WhatsApp messages from the sitting room of his house in Elarduspark.

With one last jump left, Mahlangu was in third place, having jumped 7.02 metres. He needed to go big. The Tuks coach quickly sent one last Whatsapp message.

Neil Cornelius -Proud coach of an Olympic medallist, World Champions and African/Commonwealth record holder.