Three World Records on Second Morning of IPC Athletics World Championships

The field athletes deservedly took the plaudits on the second morning session of the 2011 IPC Athletics World Championships in Christchurch, New Zealand claiming two World records.

First up was Mexico’s Angeles Ortiz Hernandes who set a new world record (11.21m/1002points) to claim gold in the Women’s Shot Put F57/58 Final. Bulgaria’s Stela Eneva (10.54m/960points) took silver with Algeria’s Nadia Medjmedj (9.48m/901points) bronze.

Next to rewrite the record books was Pawel Piotrowski of Poland in the Men’s Shot Put F35/36). His World record gold medal throw of 13.77m (1007 points) put him ahead of Russia’s Vladmir Sviridov (13.65m/1004 points) – a season’s best – and China’s Wei Guo (14.18m/988 points).

On the track Egypt’s Mostafa Fathalla Mohammed broke the Men’s 100m T37 World record in the heats setting a time of 11.64 seconds. The final is on Monday.

Brazil’s Odair Santos kicked off proceedings on day two of the 2011 IPC Athletics World Championships with an emphatic win in the Men’s 10,000m T11 Final in a Championship record of 32:13.02.

Silver went to Chile’s Christian Valenzuela who was more than a minute behind the winner in 33:21.51, whilst Mexico’s Luis Zapien Rosas took bronze in a season’s best time of 33:41.70.

China dominated this morning’s 100m races winning three out of four gold medals available.

In the Women’s T53 Final World record holder Lisha Huang took gold (17.13) ahead of USA’s Anjali Forber Pratt (17.40) and China’s Hongzhuan Zhou (17.60).

There was a shock in the Men’s T53 Final with Huzhao Li upstaging British’s World record holder Michael Bushell to win gold. Li’s time of 14.82 was a Championship record and was 0.04 ahead of the Brit. Canada’s Brent Lakatos took bronze (15.07).

China took gold and silver in the Women’s T54 100m through Hongjiao Dong (16.73) and Wenjun Liu (16.78). Bronze went to USA’s Tatyana McFadden.

The only non-Chinese winner in the 100m was Finland’s Leo Pekka Tahti who was victorious in a Championship record time of 14.14 in the Men’s T54.

Silver went to Thailand’s Saichon Konjen (14.41) whilst the Netherlands’ Kenny Vam Weeghel took bronze (14.47).

In the Men’s 1,500m T13 Final Morocco’s Tarik Zal took gold in 3:58.66 whilst his teammate Youssef Benbrahim claimed bronze (4:00.88). Silver went to Poland’s Lukasz Wietecki (3:59.52)and Youssef Benbrahim (4:00.88)

Suffering a calf injury New Zealand’s Tim Prendergast, the World record holder at this distance, was determined to finish the race and hobbled to the finish line in seventh. He now faces a race to be fit for Friday’s 800m

The Men’s 200m T34 saw Mohammed Hammadi take gold (30.14), France’s Sebastien Mobre silver (30.39) and USA’s Austin Pruitt (31.14).

In the heats for the Men’s 100m T38 Australia’s World record holder Evan O’Hanlon set a new Championship record coasting to a time of 11.21.

The USA’s Jerome Singleton set a Season’s Best of 23.28 in his heat for the Men’s 200m T44, however it was South Africa’s Oscar Pistorius who was the fastest qualifier in 22.52. Both athletes believe the 200m World record could be in jeopardy in tomorrow’s final.

In the field a throw of 3.76m from Mexico’s Estela Salas (747 points) was good enough to secure gold in the women’s F52/53 shot put final. India’s Deepa Malik won her country’s first medal of the Championships when she claimed silver with a throw of 3.59m (687points), while Martha Gustafson from Canada won bronze 3.45m (540 points) – a Championship record for a F52 athlete.

In the women’s F37 discus throw, current Paralympic Games champion, China’s Na Mi, set a new Championship record (31.46m) to secure gold from Great Britain’s Beverly Jones (30.62m) and Qiuping Xu (28.74) from China.

Juntingxian Jia’s leap of 4.47m in the women’s long jump in the F11 final delivered another gold medal to China, while Paraskevi Kantza from Greece (3.91m) and Finland’s Elisa Montonen (3.33m) were second and third respectively.

Bulgaria’s Dechko Ovcharov claimed gold in the Men’s Javelin F42 with a throw measuring 44.44m. Norway’s Runar Steinstad was second (44.39m) and South Africa’s Casper Schutte (39.56m).

In total three World and six Championship records were broken in the morning session bringing the respective total for the event to 10 World and 25 Championship records.