Recapping the month in para-sport: June 2015

Athletics

Martina Caironi only seems to be getting faster, as the Italian broke her own 200m T42 world record twice in June, first at the IPC Athletics Grand Prix in Grosseto, Italy, and then at the Grand Prix in Berlin, Germany. The feats came a month after she broke her own world records in the 100m and 200m and equalled the long jump T42 world record.

A number of other world and regionals records fell in June, with 17 going on one day in Arbon, Switzerland.

Boccia

Domingos Vieira upset Canada’s BC4 world No. 1 Marco Dispaltro in the quarter finals, en-route to gold as Portugal saw plenty of success at the Boccia World Open in Poznan, Poland. Meanwhile at the Asia and Oceania Team and Pairs Championships, results were scattered as Thailand, South Korea and China each took top prizes

Cycling

The UCI Para-Cycling Road World Cup saw Italy open the series with 11 wins on home soil in Maniago. The US won 17 medals at the next event in Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland.

Equestrian

The Netherlands continued their emergence as a dominant force in para-equestrian dressage, with grade Ib rider Nicole Den Dulk leading the charge after claiming the individual and freestyle tests at the European three-star international competition in Roosendaal, the Netherlands.

Football 7-a-side

Russia retained their Cerebral Palsy Football 7-a-side world title on 28 June with a 1-0 win over rivals Ukraine in the final at St. George’s Park, Great Britain.

Brazil secured third spot with a 6-0 hammering of the Netherlands.

Rowing

Twice, over two days, Great Britain’s world champion crew lowered the world best time in the para-rowing mixed coxed four category, making a statement in the first Para-Rowing World Cup segment of the year.

Sailing

British sailor Helena Lucas topped the podium again on her return to Weymouth and Portland, the same venue where she won London 2012 gold. Lucas was victorious in the 2.4 mR event at the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) Sailing World Cup.

Swimming

Germany’s world champion Daniela Schulte showed her form ahead of July’s IPC Swimming World Championships, breaking the women’s 200m freestyle S11 world record on 14 June at the Berlin/Brandenburg state championships.

Triathlon

France’s Yannick Bourseaux grabbed his second victory of the year after winning the men’s PT4 event at the Besancon International Triathlon Union (ITU) World Para-Triathlon Event in France as triathletes continued to make their push for ranking points ahead of September’s Grand Final and Rio 2016.

Wheelchair dance

Russia’s Maksim Sedakov danced to two gold medals at IPC Wheelchair Dance Sport Serbian Open in Belgrade, winning one with partner Svetlana Kukushina and another in the men’s singles. http://www.paralympic.org/news/rome-host-wheelchair-dance-worlds.

Wheelchair rugby

The Australian wheelchair rugby team cemented its status as the world’s best, winning a five-game tournament against world No. 2 Canada at the State Netball Hockey Centre in Melbourne.

Wheelchair tennis

The Netherlands’ Jiske Griffioen moved to the top of the women’s singles rankings after winning the Roland Garros and BNP Paribas Open de France titles, while Japan’s Shingo Kunieda maintained his status in the men’s singles after claiming both as well.

Australia’s Dylan Alcott moved to the top of the quad singles rankings for the first time after winning his category at the BNP Paribas Open de France, which is the fourth Super Series event on the UNIQLO Wheelchair Tennis Tour.