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Natalie strikes gold yet again

Eindhoven - Natalie Du Toit, South Africa's golden girl of swimming, has done it again.

Swimming at the prestigious IPC World Swimming Championships in Eindhoven, Netherlands on Sunday, the Paralympic star won the 100m butterfly final (S9 category) in a time of 1min 08.30sec.

Sunday was the first day of the competition which continues until Saturday, August 21.

Du Toit, who lost her leg below the knee in a motor scooter accident in 2001, was South Africa's first gold medal-winner of this year's championships.

But four other team members also reached the finals of their respective events. All ended eighth in the finals.

Renette Bloem (S11) clocked 3:34.36 for the 200m Individual Medley, Tiaan du Plessis (S8) swam 1:15.61 for the 100m backstroke, shark-bite victim Achmat Hassiem covered the 100m butterfly (S10) in 1:02.21 and Sarah Shannon (S3) was timed at 1:23.96 for the 50m freestyle.

Du Toit, who earlier this year, won the 2010 Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a disability, will swim in another two finals on Monday evening.

After initially being disqualified in the 200m Individual Medley heats she was reinstated after an appeal and will swim this final as well as the 100m breaststroke final.

Other South African swimmers in Monday's finals are: Renette Bloem (100m breaststroke), Hendri Herbst (100m breaststroke), Marike Naude (100m breaststroke) and Kevin Paul (200m Individual Medley).

There was also a South African record in the 50m butterfly heats on Monday morning when Adri Visser swam to a 58.56 clocking on the way to ninth spot.
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