In the heart of New Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, the 2025 World Para Athletics Championships delivered thrills on Monday as athletes shattered records and claimed golds. Britain’s Sabrina Fortune grabbed her fourth women’s shot put F20 title with a stunning world record throw of 16.75 meters, lighting up the crowd.
Fortune, already a dominant force in para athletics, nailed the record on her first attempt amid the intense heat. "I just wasn’t expecting that today," she said with a laugh. "It’s so hot, and so many things have gone wrong lately. But this makes me so happy—I could jump up and down and run the track, though I might overheat!" Reflecting on her journey to four world championships, she credited a solid coach and training spots. "Believe in yourself, and it’ll carry you far," she added.
India’s fans erupted when Rinku Hooda secured gold in the men’s javelin throw F46 event, hurling 66.37 meters for a new championship record. He edged out teammate Sundar Singh Gurjar, who took silver with 64.76 meters, in a fierce battle that saw records swap hands. Hooda opened strong at 63.81 meters, but Gurjar fired back with 64.11 on his third throw. Hooda sealed the win on his fifth attempt, beating past champions like Cuba’s Guillermo Varona Gonzalez (bronze, 63.34 meters) and India’s own 2023 winner Ajeet Singh (61.77 meters, fourth place).
The Indian duo’s 1-2 finish boosted the host nation’s spirits, pushing India to sixth on the medal table with two golds, two silvers, and one bronze. "Rinku’s mental strength shone through," one spectator noted, as the home crowd cheered their para athletics heroes.
Switzerland’s Catherine Debrunner kept the records tumbling, winning the women’s 800m T53 in 1:40.16—nearly 15 seconds faster than the previous mark. Fresh off her 5000m T54 gold the day before, she dominated the race.
Other standout performances included the Netherlands’ Joel De Jong leaping 7.57 meters for gold in the men’s long jump T63, beating Germany’s Leon Schaefer by 12 centimeters and setting a new championship record. Colombia’s Angie Nicoll Mejia Morales sped to victory in the women’s 100m T38 at 12.34 seconds, also rewriting the record. China’s Zou Lijuan threw 21.41 meters for gold in the women’s javelin F34, improving her own old mark and pairing with Zao Caiyun’s silver to help China top the medals with four golds, seven silvers, and three bronzes—edging Brazil’s four golds, seven silvers, and two bronzes.
Earlier, Thailand’s Chaiwat Rattana, who set a world record in the 400m T34 heats on Sunday, clinched gold in 48.01 seconds, pulling ahead of Australia’s Rheed McCracken in the final stretch.
Key results from Monday’s finals:
Men’s Events:
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400m T34: 1. Chaiwat Rattana (Thailand) 48.01s; 2. Rheed McCracken (Australia) 48.67s; 3. Austin Smeenk (Canada) 49.43s.
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400m T53: 1. Pongsakorn Paeyo (Thailand) 46.81s; 2. Yoo Byunghoon (South Korea) 49.29s; 3. Vitali Gritsenko (Neutral) 49.37s.
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Long Jump T63: 1. Joel De Jong (Netherlands) 7.57m (new CR); 2. Leon Schaefer (Germany) 7.45m; 3. Daniel Wagner (Denmark) 7.20m.
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Discus Throw F52: 1. Aigars Apinis (Latvia) 19.32m; 2. Andre Rocha (Brazil) 18.79m; 3. Velmr Sandor (Croatia) 18.09m.
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Javelin Throw F46: 1. Rinku Hooda (India) 66.37m (new CR); 2. Sundar Singh Gurjar (India) 64.76m; 3. Guillermo Varona Gonzalez (Cuba) 63.34m; 4. Ajeet Singh (India) 61.77m.
Women’s Events:
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100m T38: 1. Angie Nicoll Mejia Morales (Colombia) 12.34s (new CR); 2. Karen Tatiana Palomeque Moreno (Colombia) 12.36s; 3. Lida Maria Manthopolou (Greece) 12.72s.
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100m T47: 1. Kiara Rodriguez (Ecuador) 11.97s; 2. Maria Clara Augusto Silva (Brazil) 12.20s; 3. Marie Ngoussou Ngouyi (France) 12.29s.
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400m T11: 1. Thalita Vitoria Simplicio da Silva (Brazil) 59.76s; 2. Juliana Ngleya Moko (Angola) 1:01.42; 3. Melissa Baldera (Peru) 1:03.84.
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800m T53: 1. Catherine Debrunner (Switzerland) 1:40.16 (new CR); 2. Zhou Hongzhuan (China) 1:47.71; 3. Hamide Dogangun (Turkiye) 1:47.99.
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800m T54: 1. Lea Bayekula (Belgium) 1:48.91; 2. Zhou Zhaoqian (China) 1:49.46; 3. Melaine Woods (Great Britain) 1:49.59.
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Shot Put F20: 1. Sabrina Fortune (Great Britain) 16.75m (new WR); 2. Ebrar Keskin (Turkiye) 13.80m; 3. Aleksandra Zaitseva (Neutral) 13.74m.
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Javelin Throw F34: 1. Zou Lijuan (China) 21.41m (new CR); 2. Zao Caiyun (China) 20.58m; 3. Dayna Crees (Australia) 18.97m.
As the championships in New Delhi continue, expect more inspiring stories from para athletes pushing limits worldwide.
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