New Delhi, Sept 28: Bulgaria’s Ruzhdi claimed his sixth successive gold medal in the men’s shot put F55 competition with a world record throw in the World Para Athletics Championships here on Sunday.
The 34-year-old sent the iron ball to a distance of 12.94m in his sixth and final attempt, bettering his own world record of 12.68m which he had set in the 2023 World Championships in Paris, in the event in which athletes compete from a seated position as they do not have lower limb function.
Serbia’s Nebojsa Duric took the silver with a personal best 12.52m while Lech Stoltman of Poland was third with 12.02m.
Three world records were smashed during the morning session of the second day of the championships.
Malaysia’s Abdul Latif Romly completed a hat-trick of men’s long jump T20 gold medals in World Championships with a world record effort of 7.67m. Volodymyr Ponomarenko of Ukraine set a men’s shot put T12 world record with 17.39m on his second attempt to take the top spot.
T20 class is meant for athletes with intellectual disabilities while T12 is for runners with a visual impairment.
Ruzhdi, who survived a car crash which left him paralysed waist down, added to the gold he won in each edition of the World Championships dating back to Doha in 2015. It was the third time he won gold with a world record throw.
The 28-year-old long jumper Romly has dominated the event, winning five gold medals and a silver. The only time he has was beaten in a World Championships was back in Dubai in 2019.
Nassima Saifi of Algeria completed her double hat-trick of gold medals with a 34.54m effort in the women’s discus throw F57 event. The difference was quite apparent as each of her five valid throws were over 32m while China’s silver medallist Tian Yuxin’s best effort of 30.30m was only one of two other throws over the 30m mark.
Catherine Debrunner of Switzerland was an impressive winner in the women’s 5000m T54 race with a time of 12 minute 18.29 seconds, beating Chinese defending champion Tian Yajuan and her own team-mate Patricia Eachus.
Debrunner’s arms generated power for her wheelchair to shoot into the lead just after the 3km mark. (PTI)
