New Delhi, Sep 27 The 2025 World Para Athletics Championships exploded into action on the opening day with a flurry of broken World Records and new Championship Marks as China grabbed the top spot in the medals tally with four medals at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here.
A total of 11 finals were contested on Saturday, with 33 athletes reaching the podium. China finished the day atop the medal tally with four medals, including two gold and two silver. Host nation India ended Day 1 with three medals, highlighted by a gold from high jumper Shailesh Kumar in the men's high jump T63 event.
DI Dongdong of China smashed his own World Record in the men's long jump T11 final at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. He improved upon his previous world record of 6.85m, which he set at last year's Paralympic Games in Paris, by clocking an impressive 6.92m on his fourth attempt.
In the women's 400m T20 final, India’s Deepthi Jeevanji secured the silver medal. The gold went to Turkey's Aysel Onder, who set a new world record with a blazing time of 54.51 seconds. Julian Shuliar of Ukraine finished third with her season's best mark of 56.29.
The men's 100m T38 event saw Ryan Medrano of the USA set a new Championship record with a time of 10.83 seconds. He eclipsed the previous record of 10.93 seconds, set by Australian sprinter Evan O'Hanlon in Lyon in 2013.
India's Sailesh Kumar bagged a gold medal in the men's high jump T63 final with a personal best mark of 1.91 metres. Ezra Frech of the USA secured the silver, while another Indian athlete, Varun Singh Bhati, finished with the bronze with a jump of 1.85m.
Elsewhere, world record holder Jaydin Blackwell qualified for the finals with an impressive 10.92 seconds.
In the men's 100m T37 event, Ricardo Gomes de Mendonca of Brazil set a Championship record with a swift time of 11.25 seconds. India’s Rakeshbhai Bhatt (11.62) and Shreyansh Trivedi (11.94) also qualified for the final, scheduled for Sunday.
The men's 100m T12 semifinal saw Norway's Salum Ageze Kashafali equal his own world record of 10.43 seconds. Ryutaro Kumo of Japan also equalled the Asian record and progressed to the final.
In the men's shot put F37 final, Albert Khinchagov, participating as a Neutral Para Athlete (NPA), created a Championship Record with a 16.55m throw to clinch the gold. Another NPA, Aleksandr Belobokov, secured the silver with a season-best throw of 16.16m, while Tolibboy Yuldashev settled for the bronze medal.
The men's 100m T47 final was a tight contest, with Brazil's Petrucio Ferreira winning gold with a 10.66-second mark. China's Shi Kangjun secured silver with a personal best of 10.68, and Morocco's Aymane Al Haddaoui claimed the bronze with a 10.70 finish.
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