Tunis Grand Prix: Discus world record falls

Morocco’s Fouzia El Kassioui re-wrote the record books on the second day of competition (Saturday 24 June) at the Tunis Grand Prix in Tunisia with a new world record in the field.

Winner of the shot put F32/33 just 24 hours earlier - where she saw off the reigning Paralympic and world champion Maroua Ibrahmi – El Kassioui was at it again, this time in the discus event.

The 26-year-old’s massive throw of 13.97m in the fifth round added more than two metres to the previous F32 record set by Algerian Mounia Gasmi last year.

There were wins for a number of home-grown Para athletes too.

World ranked number two Raja Jebali took first place (RAZA points system) in the women’s discus F40/41 with her throw of 21.55m (1010 points) – teammate Fathia Amaimia was the best of the F41 throwers with 26.96m (826 points).

Tunisia also claimed the top two spots in the men’s club throw F31/32 thanks to Wassim Mtarrab (31.23m) and Abdennacer Feidi (28.14m). Mtarrab now sits top of the F32 world rankings ahead of Briton Stephen Miller.

In the men’s shot put F40, Paralympic bronze medallist Smaali Bouaabid’s first-round effort of 9.29m proved enough to seal the win.

On the track, home favourite and double London 2017 gold medallist Yassine Gharbi (24.95) was the clear winner in the men’s 200m T54, adding the 1,500m T53/54 later in the day in 3:28.91, while Rio 2016 champion Somaya Bousaid (59.64) finished well clear of the field in the women’s 400m T11/12/13.

Mohamed Mehd Hammami (4:01.27) took the win in the men’s 1,500m T13 and Rio 2016 finalist Bechir Agoubi (4:10.57) saw off Morrocan Abdelhadi El Harti (4:14.84) to win the 1,500m T46.

International stars also impressed as South Africa’s Paralympic champion Hilton Langenhoven (6.38m) leapt to the win in the men’s long jump T11/12.

Teammate Charl du Toit (23.69) finished nearly one second clear of his rivals in the men’s 200m T37/38 and there was success too for his in-form training partner Anrune Liebenberg (56.57) in the women’s 400m T20/37/38/47.

In the men’s javelin F13/35/36/37, Iran’s Hormoz Seidikazpounji (F37) took the gold medal with a best of 48.66m (966 points); teammates Mohammad Alvanpour (36.82m) and Khaled Hazeiri Hamad (25.78m) won the javelin F56 and F55 events respectively.

Success also went Iran’s way as world silver medallist Mohsen Kaedi (34.94m) won the men’s javelin F33/34 while Shahla Hadidi (14.99m) won the women’s discus F54.

India’s Mohd Yasser (14.07m/860 points) took gold in the men’s shot put F42/44/46/64; Algeria’s Louadjeda Benoumessad (16.08m) won the women’s javelin F33/34 and Iraq’s Paralympic javelin champion Kovan Abdulraheem (10.92m) finished nearly one metre clear of his rivals in the shot put F41.

Back on the track, Algeria’s world bronze medallist Madjid Djemai (4:33.78) was first across the line in the men’s 1,500m T36/37/38 ahead of Moroccan Hafid Aharak (4:34.34), while in the T20 race Iranian Peyman Nasiri Bazanjani (4:02.39) finished in first place.

Uzbekistan’s Doniyorjon Akhmedov (22.75) won the men’s 200m T13; Turkey’s Oguz Akbulut (23.11) won the T11/12 race and Iranina Ahmad Ojaghlou (22.64) crossed the line first in the T46/47.

Action concludes on Sunday 24 June with the final Grand Prix of the 2018 season set to take place in Berlin, Germany in one week’s time.