Three world records round off Grosseto Grand Prix

Three new world records fell on the final day (9 June) of competition at the Grosseto Grand Prix in Italy, rounding off an impressive three days of track and field competition which saw a total of 11 world records set at the city’s Carlo Zecchini stadium.

Japan’s world bronze medallist Toru Suzuki set a new T64 world record in the men’s high jump competition, clearing 1.91m on his second attempt at the height.

“My season’s best was 1.89m, but the atmosphere here in Italy was good and I was able to concentrate well to set a world record. Next, I will compete in Japan where I will target another new world record,” said the 39-year-old, who won silver at last year’s Asian Para Games.

Great Britain’s Harrison Walsh and Italy’s Moreno Marchetti meanwhile re-wrote the record books in the men’s shot put F42-46/61-64 competition.

Walsh, 23, threw 15.73m in the first round – a new world record for the F44 class, while Marchetti saved his best until last, his sixth and final throw of 8.74m a new shot put F62 world record.

USA’s Joshua Cinnamo (15.84m), who competes in the F46 class, finished in first place – his best throw 14 centimetres off the world record he set two years ago.

Russia’s Sofia Oksem won the women’s discus F11-13 – although the former world and European champion’s best effort of 41.22m fell well short of her record-breaking throw of 47.40m at the Grosseto 2016 European Championships.

Italy’s reigning Paralympic and world champion, F11 thrower Assunta Legnante (32.90m), finished in second place with three throws over 32 metres on her season debut. The men’s event was won by Spain’s Kim Lopez (44.95m).

Out on the track, US sprinters David Brown (23.75) completed a hat trick of wins in Grosseto, adding a win over 200m to his earlier successes in the 100m and 400m T11.

Fellow American Deja Young (25.19) claimed her second sprint win, finishing first in the women’s 200m T46/47.

Hungary’s Luca Ekler (27.26) also continued to impress a day after leaping to a new long jump T38 world record - the 20-year-old’s time placing her at the top of the women’s 200m T38 world rankings.

Turkey’s Oguz Akbulut (23.06) and Hakan Cira (23.26) took the top two spots in the men’s 200m T12; Briton Thomas Young (23.87) notched up his sprint double with a win in the men’s 200m T38; South Africa’s Mpumelelo Mhlongo (23.30) beat local favourite Emanuele di Marino (25.36) in the men’s 200m T44 and Russia’s former European champion Aleksei Kotlov (22.91) won the men’s 200m T46/47.

Full results can be found here.