New Delhi: Great Britain’s Sabrina Fortune continued her dominance at the New Delhi 2025 World Para Athletics Championships, claiming her fourth women’s Shot Put F20 gold medal with a World Record performance at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Monday. Fortune’s stunning opening throw of 16.75m set the tone, with her subsequent attempts ranging from 13.99m to 15.71m confirming her supremacy and securing the gold.
Fortune expressed her delight after the victory. “I just wasn’t expecting that today. It’s so hot, and so many things went wrong this past week, but this makes me so happy. I can’t put into words how much it means. I just want to jump up and down and run the whole track!” she said. Reflecting on her journey as a four-time world champion, she credited her progress to good coaching and consistent training, noting that believing in oneself is key to improvement.
India’s Rinku Hooda delivered a historic performance in the men’s Javelin Throw F46 final, claiming gold with a Championships Record throw of 66.37m. Hooda battled fiercely alongside his experienced teammate Sundar Singh Gurjar, who briefly took the lead with 64.11m. Hooda reclaimed the top spot with his fifth attempt, beating past champions and showcasing remarkable skill and composure under pressure. Fellow Indian Ajeet Singh narrowly missed out on a medal with a throw of 61.77m, while Cuba’s Guillermo Varona Gonzalez claimed bronze with 53.34m.
The day also saw multiple other records fall. Switzerland’s Catherine Debrunner added the women’s 800m T53 gold to her 5000m T54 victory, finishing in 1:40.15 nearly 15 seconds faster than the previous record set in 2019. Joel De Jong of the Netherlands won the men’s Long Jump T63 final, surpassing former record-holder Leon Schaefer of Germany by 12cm. Angie Nicoll Mejia Morales of Colombia triumphed in the women’s 100m T38, while China’s Zou Lijuan improved her own 2017 women’s Javelin Throw F34 record.
In the men’s 400m T34, Thailand’s Chaiwat Rattana continued his record-breaking form after clocking a 47.94s world record in the heats on Sunday. Rattana maintained composure throughout the final, finishing in 48.01s to claim gold ahead of Australia’s Rheed McCracken.
The standout performances helped shape the medal table, with China leading with four golds, seven silvers, and three bronzes. India’s strong showing in the Javelin Throw, with a one-two finish from Hooda and Gurjar, moved the host nation to sixth place with two golds, two silvers, and one bronze.
