Doha 2015 ends with four golds for Walid Ktila as China top medals table

Tunisia’s Walid Ktila clinched an incredible fourth world title on the final day of competition (Saturday 31 October) at the 2015 IPC Athletics World Championships in Doha, Qatar, becoming the most successful athlete of the championships with victory in the 200m T34.

The 30-year-old made it a ‘double quadruple’ as he repeated his winning performance from two years ago with victories over 100m, 200m, 400m and 800m.

Ktila rounded off a superb Doha 2015 campaign with a championship record in the 200m, clocking 27.44 to finish clear of the UAE’s Mohamed Hammadi (27.82) and Finland’s Henry Manni (28.58) who took silver and bronze respectively.

“Every new race is always an exciting new experience, I never get bored of competing. When I came here I was looking for four gold medals and I have succeeded in this. I am excited to hear the national anthem of Tunisia again,” said the multiple world record holder.

Ktila’s victory was one of 18 gold medals decided on the tenth day of competition, as the number of world records set in Doha reached an impressive 54.

Russia’s Evgenii Shvetcov broke his own world record as he stormed to gold in the men’s 200m T36, holding on strongly after a terrific bend to take his second title in Doha, having already won the 400m.

“I’m lost for words, I was trying to win the gold medal, so it feels amazing to do it and break the world record,” said Shvetcov, whose time of 24.29 knocked 0.16 off the mark he set just four months ago.

Silver went to Ukraine’s Roman Pavlyk (24.63) as Shvetcov’s compatriot Evgenii Torsunov took bronze (24.67).

Andrey Vdovin continued to add to Russia’s gold medal collection – and world record tally - as he secured his third title in fine style, cruising to the line in what looked like an effortless 11.46 to win the 100m T37, knocking 0.02 off his previous world record in the process.

Silver went to South Africa’s Fanie van der Merwe with a season’s best 11.55 and Russian Chermen Kobesov took bronze (11.60).

There was also a world record for Russia in the first of the day’s relay events, the men’s 4x100m T11-13 (42.11). The quartet of Fedor Trikolich, Aleksei Labzin, Artem Loginov and Andrey Koptev raced home to take gold ahead of Uzbekistan who took silver with a new national record (43.71) as Spain won bronze (44.24).

There was delight for Germany in the men’s 4x100m relay T42-47 as the quartet of David Behre, Markus Rehm, Felix Streng and Johannes Floors beat defending champions and world record holders the USA to the line in 41.86, a new European record.

The USA had to settle for silver with a season’s best 42.91 as Russia claimed bronze (44.27).

With three individual golds already under her belt, there was no doubting Cuiqing Liu as she raced home in the fourth leg of the women’s 4x100m T11-13 relay to seal gold for China (48.58). Russia (50.88) took silver and bronze went to Spain (53.64).

Great Britain’s women’s 4x100m T35-38 relay quartet of Olivia Breen, Maria Lyle, Georgie Hermitage and Sophie Hahn ran a blistering world record 52.22 to take gold ahead of Russia (53.18) and China (57.66).

“It was an amazing feeling, particularly when the world record flashed up on the screen,” said Hahn, who raced home in the anchor leg. “It is an exciting time heading into Rio and hopefully we will get faster.”

World record holders China (3:08.32) won the men’s 4x400m T53/54, breaking the championship record they set in New Zealand four years ago as the quartet dominated the race from start to finish. Thailand came through for silver (3:12.22) and a terrific finish by France gave them bronze on the line (3:22.44).

Great Britain’s Hannah Cockroft tore round the track to take her third gold in Doha with a new championship record. The 23-year-old looked in control from the gun as she powered round the inside to finish well clear of USA’s Alexa Halko (1:04.20) and young Briton Kare Adenegan (1:04.78).

Medal table leaders China took gold courtesy of Jianwen Hu in the men’s 100m T38, clocking a new Asian record (11.08) with silver and bronze going to Brazil’s Edson Pinheiro (11.23) and China’s Wenjun Zhou (11.42) respectively.

Belgium’s Peter Genyn picked up his second gold of the championships as he won the 400m T51 (1:22.66). Edgar Cesareo Navarro Sanchez of Mexico and Finland’s Toni Piispanen (1:28.25) completed the podium.

There was a one-two for Japan in the men’s 400m T52. Tomoki Sato (1:00.91) never looked in doubt as he finished well clear of the field - the battle for silver was won by Hirokazu Ueyonabaru (1:03.58) while bronze went to Thailand’s Pichaya Kurattansiri (1:03.60).

The women’s 400m T52 was won by Belgium’s Marieke Vervoort (1:08.40) who finished well clear of her rivals to complete a hat trick of golds in Doha. Silver went to the USA’s Kerry Morgan (1:12.55).

Italy secured their first gold out in the field as Assunta Legnante (F11) took gold in the shot put F12. The defending champion led with her first throw of 12.92m but she saved her best until last, sealing the win with 14.02m. Russia’s Sofia Oksem threw a new F12 world record of 13.60m to take silver and bronze went to Rebeca Valenzuela Alvarez (12.70m).

Great Britain’s Hollie Arnold saw of stiff competition in the javelin F46, retaining her Lyon 2013 title with a championship record throw of 40.53m in the third round. Poland’s Paralympic champion Katarzyna Piekart (39.28m) had to settle for silver whilst Holly Robinson of Australia took bronze (38.18m).

A championship record throw of 11.81m in the opening round of the shot put F55 was enough for Bulgaria’s Ruzhdi Ruzhdi to take gold as Serbia’s Milos Zaric threw 11.49m for silver – just two centimetres further than Lyon 2013 champion Karol Kozun of Poland (11.47m).

Victory in the men’s discus F12 went to Iran’s Saman Pakbaz as the defending champion, Kim Lopez Gonzalez of Spain, had to make do with silver (44.93m). Poland’s Marek Wietecki threw 44.76m for bronze.

A massive fourth round throw of 41.93m by China’s Yanzhang Wang (41.93m) in the discus F34 meant a second gold medal for the 24-year-old who won the javelin F34 title two days previously. Colombia’s Mauricio Valencia (35.06m) and Canada’s Jason Roberts (31.98m) completed the medals.

China topped the final medals table in Doha with a total of 41 gold, 26 silver and 18 bronze. Russia, who topped the table two years ago, finished runners up with 24 gold, 21 silver and 24 bronze. The USA were third, Great Britain finished in fourth place and Tunisia took the fifth spot.

A total of 1,815 athletes and athlete support personnel passed through the anti-doping education booth, run by anti-doping experts from the Qatar Anti-Doping Commission (QADC) over nine days of competition.

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