Paris 23: Cockroft and Lemos double up with Sunday win

Three world records were smashed in an epic battle of the shot putters that was won by Colombian Jose Gregorio Lemos in a thrilling final at the Paris 23 World Para Athletics Championships on Sunday (16 July).

The Paralympic champion fought off Kuwait’s Faisal Sorour and Great Britain’s Michael Jenkins, who had each broken the men’s shot put F38 record, before he launched a massive 18.26m throw to extend it even further to take the gold.

The extraordinary scenes in the shot put arena were among the highlights in the evening session on day nine. There was also another shot put world record set by Iran’s Yasin Khosravi; Hannah Cockcroft won the 14th World Championships gold of her career in the women’s 800m and Japan was the surprise winners of the universal relay. In all, there were 10 titles handed out at the Charlety Stadium.

Out on the field, Lemos had initially faced a monumental challenge from Kuwait Faisal Sorour, who was the world record holder going into the competition. He broked it in the first round – from 16.46m to 17.01m.

Then Michael Jenkins, an 18-year-old from Great Britain at his first Worlds, broke the record again in his fifth attempt (17.14m). But moments later Lemos, who also won javelin gold and a bronze in the long jump T38, extended it further with a massive throw that landed 1.80m further away. His victory put Colombia in ninth place on the medals table.

"I’m really happy for all that Colombia has achieved in the World Championships. This is the result of a long process, very well-planned and we are growing little by little. There are more athletes coming and Colombia will show even more in the future," Lemos said.

More world records

In the second shot put final, Iran’s Yasin Koshravi broke the F57 class world record with his fifth-round throw of 16.01. Brazil’s two-time world champion Thiago Paulino set a season’s best to take the silver in 15.09 and Finland’s Teijo Koopikka threw a lifetime’s best to claim bronze (14.80).

“Hurricane” Hannah Cockcroft retained her title in the women’s 800m T34 – her fourteenth gold overall. It was yet another outstanding performance from an athlete who is a class apart in her field. 

The reigning Paralympic and world champion, forged out in front from the start and kept extending her lead until she finished nearly eight seconds ahead of her teammate Kare Adenegan in 1:57.57 to set a new championship record. USA’s Eva Houston came third.

“My first world championships was 12 years ago. I didn’t dream in a million years all that time ago that I’d still be here all these years later, and probably not doing a 1:51, which is a good time. But I’m just never happy,” Cockroft said after her win.

The seven-time Paralympic champion, who also won the 100m this week, had been due to compete with her Great Britain teammates in the universal relay but pulled out. Her place was taken by Samantha Kinghorn, who won gold this week in the women’s 100m T53 and silvers in the 400m and 800m. 

Canada had landed first in what was a fast and furious race but were disqualified when wheelchair racer Austin Smeenk, who won a T13 silver and bronze in Paris, left his box early. The team also included Zachary Gingras (T38), Bianca Borgella (T13) and Marissa Papaconstantinou (T64).

It meant the Japanese team - Tomoki Ikoma (T54), Yuyu Sambongi (T47), Uran Sawada (T12) and Yuka Takamatsu (T38) – which had finished second in 47.96 were upgraded to gold. 

The Great Britain team, which also included Jonnie Peacock (T64), Zachary Shaw (T12) and Sophie Hahn (T38) were upgraded from bronze to silver and Brazil’s Fernandes Ariosvaldo (T53), Ricardo Gomes (T37), Fernanda Da Silva (T47) and Jhulia dos Santos (T11), which had finished in fourth claimed bronze.

Belgium collected its third medal of the day when five-time world champion Peter Genyn hit the line first in the men’s 100m T51 followed by his teammate Roger Habsch. Genyn set a new championship record in 19.79. Finland’s Toni Piispanen was third. Earlier in the day their compatriot Maxime Carabin collected his second gold in the men’s 100m T52 to add to the 400m he won earlier in the week.

One-two for Ukraine

In the second 100m final of the evening in the men’s T35 there was a one-two for Ukraine. The reigning world champion Ihor Tsvietov finished in a season’s best 11.78 ahead of his teammate Ivan Tetiukhin in 12.50. It was the second gold for Tsvietov of the Championships. He also won the 200m. Brazil’s Parapan American champion Fabio Bordignon was third (12.59).

Ukraine’s Paralympic and world champion Zoia Ovsil also secured gold in the women’s club throw F51. USA’s Tokyo 2020 silver medallist Cassie Mitchell was second and India’s Ekta Bhyan third.

India won two more medals in the men’s javelin F46 where just three centimetres separated the top three. Ajeet Singh topped the podium when he set a championship record of 65.41. His compatriot Rinku took the silver in 65.38m. Sri Lanka’s Dinesh Herath, the Paralympic champion and silver medallist at the last edition in Dubai 2019, had to settle for third.

In the long jump arena, there was a thrilling final in women’s T20 competition when Brazil’s Zileide Cassiano da Silva threatened to dethrone Poland’s reigning Paralympic and world champion Karolina Kucharczyk. 

The 25-year-old, who was making her Championships debut, had been leading the competition after her jump of 5.97m, which set an Americas record. But Kucharczyk then leapt to the top of the leaderboard with her jump of 6.08m – she was the only athlete to get over six metres. It was a Brazil silver and bronze, with Jardenia Felix Barbosa in third.

Back on the track, Bulgaria’s Hristiyan Stoyanov retained his World Championships title in the men’s 1500m T46. He had bided his time behind Australia’s Michael Roeger, the silver medallist in Dubai 2019, before overtaking at around 80m to charge to the line to win gold in a season’s best 3:52.56. Roeger, who had led for most of the race, had to settle for another silver in 3.53:89. 

Tunisia’s Bechir Agoubi, who was 4th at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, took the bronze (3:57.77). Algeria’s former Paralympic and world champion Samir Nouioua, who was close to the front of the pack, fell just before the line and finished in 8th place.

The last day of the Paris 23 World Championships will be live on the World Para Athletics website and Facebook page with geo-blocking restriction in certain territories. To know where to watch click here.

Complete schedule, results, medallists and records from the Para Athletics World Championships are available here.