With Australia’s medal tally standing at nine after five days of competition in New Delhi, a set of finals led by Commonwealth medallist Samuel Carter and Paralympic middle-distance runner Annabelle Colman headline the action on day six.
The versatile Sam Carter (ACT, Fred Periac, T54) will spearhead the wheelchair racing action having punched his ticket to the 1500m T54 final in a tactical race yesterday, with the experienced campaigner setting an Australian record of 2:49.48 in Switzerland earlier this year.
Set to take on Swiss legend Marcel Hug who owns the world record and China’s Jin Hua who set a championship record of 2:52.30 in heats, Carter is ready to go out with all guns blazing in today’s final.
“I always get a little extra nervous for the 1500m, there’s something about it. Maybe it’s the sprinter in me that still sees it as a long way, but the crash that happened right after the start [in the heats] didn’t help the nerves either!” Carter said.
“You hear the crunch of chairs and hope that it’s not yours, but I’m stoked to get through to the final. It will be an amazing field and I’m very happy to be there. I’m ready to give it my best.”
A pair of Australians are ready to fly in the Long Jump T38 as national record holder Ari Gesini (ACT, Rowan Vergano, T38) and debutant Michael Mayne (VIC, Alwyn Jones, T38) hit the runway for the straight final, with little separating the field on paper.
Paralympian Gesini returned to the green and gold for the 2024 instalment of the championships in Kobe where he claimed fourth place with a 6.03m leap, now hopeful that a jump closer to his 6.42m personal best can land him on the podium.
Rising star Annabelle Colman (VIC, Anthony de Castella and Liz Gosper, T20) was one of the breakthrough performers of the 2024 Paralympic Games when charging to fourth place in the 1500m T20 for athletes with an intellectual impairment, now hoping to go one better in New Delhi.
The 21-year-old’s Australian record of 4:31.54 ranks her fourth in the field on paper and well in truly in the medal conversation, as Colman looks to embrace the challenging middle-distance conditions to step onto the podium for the first time in her emerging career.
Leading the first-round action is Paralympic champion and world record holder James Turner (ACT, Iryna Dvoskina, T36) who hits the track for the 100m heats ahead of tomorrow’s final, leading the way for debutant Alexander McKillop (TAS, Rosemary Coleman, T36).
The 2025 World Para Athletics Championships are being held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi, India from September 27 – October 5.
Australian viewers can tune in live and free via the Paralympic Games YouTube channel from 1:30pm AEST.
By Lachlan Moorhouse, Australian Athletics
Posted 2/10/2025
