Following an optimistic start on Day One, Sunday brought a somber turn for India at the World Para Athletics Championships. All six Indian athletes competing across three events on the second day were unable to secure a top-five finish, a stark contrast to the continuous stream of new records being set by international competitors.
As the day concluded, India found itself at the 12th spot in the medal standings. Brazil maintained its lead with ten medals, closely followed by China. The day was particularly notable for Bulgaria’s Ruzhdi, who clinched his sixth consecutive world title in the men’s Shot Put F55, achieving a new world record of 12.94m. This was one of four new world records established throughout the day, with three of those monumental feats occurring in the morning session alone.
The record-breaking spree extended to Malaysia’s Abdul Latif Romly, who secured his third consecutive long jump T20 world title with an impressive 7.67m. Ukraine’s Volodymyr Ponomarenko also made headlines with a 17.39m shot put throw in the T12 category. In the 100m T12 event, Norway’s Salum Ageze Kashafali shattered his own world record, clocking an astounding 10.42 seconds and setting a new championship best, while India’s Rakeshbhai Bhatt and Shreyansh Trivedi finished at the back of the eight-person race. In total, four more championship records were achieved across various men’s and women’s events, consistently highlighting the exceptional performance of the international athletes.
For India, Vikas delivered the strongest performance of the day, securing sixth place in the long jump T47 with a leap of 6.96m. His compatriot, Ajay Singh, placed tenth. In the men’s javelin throw F57, Parveen Kumar finished eighth with a throw of 41.92m, and Hem Chandra recorded a personal best of 41.17m, finishing tenth.
Among the women athletes, Nassima Saifi successfully defended her Discus Throw F57 title. Swiss wheelchair racing icon Catherine Debrunner, already a 5000m T54 world record holder, further cemented her dominance by claiming another world title, finishing her race in 12:18.29.
Detailed Results:
- Men:
- 100m T12: Salum Ageze Kashafali (Nor, 10.42s)
- 100m T37: Ricardo Mendonca (Bra, 11.16s) new CR, Rakeshbhai Bhatt (7th, 11.88s), Shreyansh Trivedi (8th, 12.18s)
- 100m T38: Jaydin Blackwell (USA, 10.70s)
- 400m T72: Carlo Calcagni (Ita, 59.91s)
- 5000m T54: Marcel Hug (Sui, 10:03.64)
- Shot Put F55: Ruzhdi Ruzhdi (Bul, 12.94m)
- Shot Put F12: Volodymyr Ponomarenko (Ukr, 17.39m)
- Long Jump T20: Abdul Latif Romly (Mas, 7.67m)
- Javelin Throw F57: Muhammet Khalvandi (Tur, 53.30m), Parveen Kumar (8th, 41.92m), Hem Chandra (10th, 41.17m)
- Club Throw F32: Walid Farhah (Alg, 39.53m)
- Long Jump T47: Robiel Cervantes (Cub, 7.57m), Vikas (6th, 6.96m), Ajay Singh (10th, 6.31m)
- Women:
- 100m T13: Orla Comerford (Irl, 11.88s)
- 400m T72: Magdalena Andruszkiewicz (Pol, 1:13.98)
- 400m T34: Hannan Cockroft (GBR, 55.62s)
- 400m T37: Nataliia Kobzar (Ukr, 1:01.18)
- 1500m T11: Neri Roxana Mamani Quispe with guide Aldo Milagro Cusi Huaman (Per, 4:59.93)
- 1500m T13: Greta Streimikyte (Irl, 4:39.62)
- 5000m T54: Catherine Debrunner (Sui, 12:18.29)
- Discus Throw F57: Nassimi Saifi (Alg, 34.54m)
- Shot Put F37: Lisa Adams (Nzl, 13.83m)
- Javelin Throw F13: Yuping Zhao (Chn, 45.22m)