Arizona Grand Prix: Five talking points

Paralympic and world champions shine on US soil 18 Jun 2018
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Daniel Romanchuk racing on the track

Daniel Romanchuk breaks the T54 world record in Arizona.

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The World Para Athletics Grand Prix in Arizona, USA, took place between 15 and 16 June. With the event doubling as the US Nationals, there were prized titles up for grabs.

Here are five talking points following all the action.

Romanchuk smashes second world record

USA’s Daniel Romanchuk is fast becoming the man to beat in the hotly contested men’s T54 class. He showed just why with a new world record in the 800m T54, clocking 1:29.66. The 19-year-old, who broke the 5,000m T54 record earlier this month in Switzerland, also added wins in the 400m, 1,500m and 5,000m T54.

World record for Paralympic champion Clark

Breanna Clark took more than 0.3 seconds off her own world record in the women’s 400m T20, clocking 55.99 – and she’s not planning on stopping there. “Breaking the world record takes hard work. I hope to break more records by next year and 2020,” said the 23-year-old.

International stars shine in Arizona

Trinidad and Tobago’s Paralympic and world champion Akeem Stewart threw 59.30m in the men’s discus F43 and won the javelin F43 with 55.96m, while Australia’s world silver medallist Guy Henly managed 47.78m to win the discus F37. Mexico’s Gabriel Buenaventu took the top spot in the men’s javelin F46 and Canada’s Alister McQueen won the javelin F64.

World and Paralympic champions top podium

Jarryd Wallace claimed double sprint gold in Arizona by winning the 100m and 200m T64, Ray Martin won the 100m and 400m T52, and Deja Young clocked world leads in the 100m and 200m T46/47. Other stand out performances were those of visually impaired athlete David Brown, who won the 100m T11, and Mikey Brannigan, who secured his fourth national title in the men’s 1,500m T20.

Top field athletes make their mark

Lex Gillette notched up his sixth consecutive Arizona Grand Prix win in the men’s long jump T11, David Blair took the win in the men’s discus F44 with a best of 62.92m, and three-time world champion Jeremy Campbell won the men’s discus F64 with 62.51m. Multi-eventer Roderick Townsend-Roberts claimed two wins in the high jump and long jump T46, and Isaac Jean-Paul won the men’s long jump T13.

*All record marks subject to ratification by World Para Athletics