Rising middle-distance runner Angus Hincksman has become a two-time global medallist at the age of 20, winning Australia’s 13th and final medal of the 2025 World Para Athletics Championships in New Delhi.
Slated as one of the showdowns of the championships in the 1500m T38, a trio of Australians took to the start line as Hincksman (SA, Philo Saunders, T38), Reece Langdon (VIC, Tim O’Shaughnessy, T38) and debutant Ben Eppelstun (ACT, Philo Saunders, T38) flew the flag for their country.
In a show of team tactics, it was Hincksman and Langdon who traded blows throughout the affair to lead the field into the final 300m, where the race turned up a gear as Nathan Tucker (CAN) and Amen Allah Tissaoui (TUN) poured on the pace for gold and silver.
Hincksman held on for third in a time of 3:58.19, silencing thoughts of self-doubt and reasserting himself on the global podium after missing out at the 2024 Paralympic Games:
“I had a lot of pressure on myself coming into this race, swirling with a lot of self-doubt and really just questioning everything I was doing. It feels like a big stress reliever,” Hincksman said.
“Reaching the podium after getting knocked off last year which felt like a bit of heartbreak, it feels like it’s all worth it again.
“I feel like I had a place for me on the podium in Paris. It was a big wake-up call and to put in the work and get back on top, or at least on the podium, it feels great.”
World record holder and Paralympic bronze medallist Langdon was shuffled back at the bell and never recovered to finish in a valiant fourth place in 3:59.81, while Eppelstun claimed 12th overall.
20-year-old Akeesha Snowden (SA, Lynn Larsen, T37) doubled back from last night’s bronze in the Universal 4x100m Relay to contest her fourth even of the championships, taking out fifth place in the 200m T37 to round out her busy New Delhi schedule.
“I’m really proud of that to close out my debut with fifth in a final that’s so strong like that. I’ve had so much fun this week and I think it just shows what debutants and our younger generations of Australians can do,” Snowden said.
Three Australians contested the 400m T38 final for women, led by Rhiannon Clarke (WA, Danny Kevan, T38) who bounced back after a tough championships to finish in fifth place with a season’s best of 1:02.32, followed by the First Nation duo of Briseis Brittain (NT, Roger Chin, T38) in seventh and Layla Sharp (NSW, Rob Marks, T38) in eighth.
Finishing off the finals action was Ella Hose (VIC, John Eden, F37) who claimed seventh place in the Discus Throw F38 with a season’s best of 28.09m, while Summer Giddings (NSW, Michael Hemmings-Jones, T35) crossed the line in sxith place of the 100m T35 after a controversial re-run due to a technical error in the initial run.
Australia concluded its campaign with 13 medals at the 2025 World Para Athletics Championships, which were held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi, India from September 27 – October 5.
By Lachlan Moorhouse, Australian Athletics
Posted 5/10/2025
