Paris 23: Magnificent Markus Rehm makes it six

Germany’s "Blade Jumper” Markus Rehm broke his own championship record to secure his sixth back-to-back victory in the men’s long jump T64 - and eighth gold overall - at Paris 23 World Para Athletics Championships on Friday (14 July).

Excitement had built before the competition had even started on how far Rehm would jump, so often does he smash his own records. And he did not disappoint at the Charlety Stadium where his French fans were also celebrating the national holiday, Bastille Day.

Just three weeks after he broke his own world record, Rehm extended the championship record that he set in Doha in 2015 by nine centimetres to secure the title in 8.49m. The four-time Paralympic champion has now won every world championship in his class since Christchurch, New Zealand, in 2011. 

The 34-year-old’s brilliant win was among the highlights of the evening session on day seven that saw 11 titles handed out and three world records broken. They included Morocco’s Ayoub Sadni’s sensational victory in the men’s 400m; USA’s Noelle Malkamaki’s in the women’s shot put and Hungary’s Luka Ekler’s in the women’s 400m. Mauritius and Saudi Arabia also won their first medals of the Championships.

In the long jump arena, Rehm finished more than a metre ahead of his nearest rivals. USA’s Derek Loccident, who was making his Championship debut, claimed silver in 7.39m and his teammate Jarryd Wallace took bronze (7.34m). 

Rehm said: “I feel great. It was a gold and a championships record, and I’m super happy about it. It was a great competition, a great audience and a I had so much fun.”

Morocco’s Paralympic champion Ayoub Sadni smashed the world record in the men’s 400m T47 in 46.78. The bronze medallist in the last edition in Dubai in 2019 upgraded to gold after he stormed around the final bend and stretched his lead to the line. The battle for second and third was won by USA’s Tanner Wright, who set a lifetime best of 48.95. Brazil’s 19-year-old Jose Martins claimed bronze on what was his Championships debut in 49.00.

Noelle's golden debut

More record’s fell in the women’s 200m T38. Hungary’s Luca Ekler, who retained her world long jump title this week, won her first track gold medal and broke the world record set by Great Britain’s Sophie Hahn in Dubai 2019 in a time of 25.78. 

Hahn had shot out of the blocks along with Colombia’s 100m world champion Darian Jimenez, but Ekler pulled away on the last 50m. It was the third medal for the schoolteacher from Budapest. She also won silver in the 100m T38. Jimenez finished with an Americas record in 26.04 and Hahn had a season’s best 26.35.

USA’s shot putter Noelle Malkamaki had a sensational start to her first Championships in the F46 class when she threw nearly a metre longer than her personal best to set a new world record in 13.32m. New Zealand’s Paralympic javelin thrower Holly Robinson came second in the competition and set an Oceania record in 11.59m. Japan’s Yukiko Saito took the bronze (11.42m).

In a second shot put final, the women’s F32, Ukraine’s Anastasiia Moskalenko won gold when she launched a championship record throw of 7.50m. Brazil’s Wanna Brito came second, and Australia’s Rosemary Little was third. 

There were three 100m finals during the evening. In the women’s T54, Naoemi Alphonse won Mauritius’ first medal of Paris 2023 when she finished in silver behind reigning world titleholder, Finland’s Amanda Kotaja, who set a championship record in 15.96. Alphonse finished in 16.05 with USA track legend Tatyana McFadden in bronze.

Thailand’s Paralympic champion Pongsakom Paeyo claimed the T53 gold in season’s best 14.56. Alqurashi finished in 14.84 to take silver putting Saudia Arabia for the first time on the podium in Paris, with Brazil’s Ariosvaldo Fernandes in bronze.

Great Britain’s Samantha Kinghorn, a bronze medallist at Tokyo 2020, stopped Switzerland’s Catherine Debrunner from winning her fourth gold of the championship when she stormed to victory in the T53 race in a championship record time of 15.93. Debrunner claimed silver in 16.06 with China’s Paralympic and world champion Fang Gao taking the bronze.

“I wanted to become world champion, and to do it today is an incredible feeling,” Kinghorn said. “Even when I crossed the line I didn’t know if I had won it, so I was just waiting for my name to come up. When it did, it was such an incredible feeling.”

Brazil bookended the women’s 400m T47 final. Fernanda Yara, a bronze medallist at the 2019 ParaPan Games, beat off a challenge from silver medallist China’s Lu Li to cross the line in a season’s best 57.30. Her teammate Maria Augusto came third.

"I am in the Paralympic movement since 2008, but I had a lot of difficulties at the beginning of my career. I still can’t believe in this world title,” Yara said.

Serbia was also first and third in the men’s club throw F51. Filip Graovac took the gold after his throw of 32.72m and his compatriot Aleksander Radisic claimed the bronze. Mexico’s Mario Santa Ramos, the silver medallist in Dubai in 2019, was second.

And Poland’s five-time Paralympic and world champion Barbara Bieganowska-Zajac added another title to her portfolio when she claimed gold in the women’s 1500m T20. She finished in a season’s best 4:28.66 with Brazil’s Antonia Da Silva in second and Liudmyla Danylina third.

Complete schedule, and results from the Paris 23 World Championships are available here.

Paris 23 is streamed live on the World Para Athletics Facebook page with geo-blocking restrictions in certain territories. More information is available here.