Paris World Para Athletics Championships Pave Way for Future Success

With three world titles and an impressive tally of 14 medals at the World Para Athletics Championships, Australia’s para athletes have illuminated a bright future and unveiled a crop of burgeoning talent, now entrusted with returning the nation to Paralympic powerhouse status.

Concluding the championships on three golds, eight silvers and three bronzes shared between 12 athletes on the competing team of 38, it was world champions James Turner (ACT, Iryna Dvoskina) and Maria Strong (VIC, Richard Colman and John Eden) who led the way as Australia finished in 18th place of 60 countries on the overall medal tally.

Successfully defending his 100m T36 and 400m T36 world titles from Dubai 2019, Turner continued his undefeated run at the World Para Athletics Championships, taking his career tally to eight gold medals at the event.

Strong raced to global glory when becoming the inaugural 100m T72 world champion, leaving the field in their wake on Day One of competition to set the tone for a successful championships. Strong then doubled back in the Shot Put F33 to win silver, adding a second medal to her Paris campaign.

A collection of 11 minor medals included the storylines of Vanessa Low’s (ACT, Scott Reardon) return from pregnancy to win bronze in the Long Jump T63 and Michael Roeger’s (SA, Philo Saunders) bittersweet silver upon his return to the track, while international debutants Mali Lovell (NSW, Katie Edwards and Melinda Gainsford-Taylor) and Reece Langdon (VIC, Tim O’Shaughnessy) struck silver in the 200m T36 and 1500m T38 respectively.

Amongst nine debutants on Team Australia, the pair led the way for an emerging crop of talent that stamped their presence in Paris, with five top-four finishes shared between the nation’s emerging athletes.

Australia’s youngest team member, 17-year-old Angus Hincksman (SA, Simon Moran) raced to bronze in the 1500m T38 to complete his dream debut:

“If everything was going to go right, that’s the outcome I wanted. I executed my plan, I executed my race and I had good training leading into it. All I can do is improve, one step at a time and meet some new people along the way,” Hincksman said.

For those like 19-year-old Abby Craswell (QLD, Andrew Craswell), the championships provided a key development opportunity ahead of eyeing a dream Paralmypic debut upon returning to Paris in 2024.

“It’s definitely been a new experience and an opportunity. It’s been quite different and overwhelming, especially the first couple of weeks, but now I have gotten into the jist of things a bit more,” Craswell said.

“It leaves us with so much hope, there is still over a year to go and prepare for the Paralympics next year which is very exciting.”

Athletics Australia General Manager - High Performance, Andrew Faichney said that the results from these Championships give just a glimpse of what can be achieved at the next World Para Athletics Championships in Kobe, Japan in May, through to the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games and beyond.

“It’s been two years since Australia’s para athletes had the opportunity to compete on the world stage, and a long four years since their last stand alone event. This crop of athletes came here to lay down their preparations, but with a lack of competition opportunities prior to these championships, it became very hard to assess where we stood amongst our competing nations,” Faichney said.

“When I reflect on the results of our team at this Championships, I can see that there is much to look forward to. I am extremely proud of what our two world champions and medallists achieved, but I am particularly impressed by our nine debutants who showed so much promise throughout the nine days of competition.

“The future is looking bright for our para athletes and I look forward to seeing what they can achieve between now and the Australian domestic season ahead of our return to Paris again for the pinnacle event next August.”

Australian medals at the 2023 World Para Athletics Championships:

Gold - James Turner (100m T36, 400m T36), Maria Strong (100m T72)

Silver - Guy Henly (Discus F38), Michal Burian (Javelin F64), Mali Lovell (200m T36), Rhiannon Clarke (400m T38), Reece Langdon (1500m T38), Michael Roeger (1500m T46), Jaryd Clifford (5000m T13), Maria Strong (Shot Put F33)

Bronze - Vanessa Low (Long Jump T63), Rosemary Little (Shot Put F32), Angus Hincksman (1500m T38)