With five global medals to her name at the age of 21, there are few greater certainties in Australian Para-athletics than Mali Lovell showing up when it counts. The latest instalment of the ‘Lovell Double’ harvested two medals from the 2025 World Para Athletics Championships.
A Paralympic sprinter who competes with cerebral palsy, Lovell was one of the big winners of the year. She clinched silver in the 100m and 200m T36 events at the World Para Athletics Championships, and improved her national records in both events during the Chemist Warehouse Summer Series.
In fact, the only thing she lost was a battle with Coach Katie Edwards about the length of her off-season:
“I tried to get 10 weeks off, but Katie said I could only have five, so I’m starting gym next week and track the week after that,” Lovell says.
Adding two silvers to her growing medal collection which includes 2024 Paralympic bronze and minor medals from both the 2023 and 2024 World Para Athletics Championships, Lovell maintained her flawless record of finishing on the podium at all four major championships she has contested to date.
“Definitely the Paralympic bronze from last year is my favourite, but my 200m silver from the 2023 Paris World Championships is up there because it was my first major medal and I was just ecstatic,” Lovell says.
Breaking a pair of T36 national records with performances of 14.24 (+1.6) and 29.64 (-0.9) over 100m and 200m respectively at the 2025 Australian Athletics Championships in Perth, the 21-year-old timed her run to perfection all season long.
“I think I did pretty well, I was a bit nervous at Nationals but I guess everyone gets that. I work with my psychologist and he gives me a few tips on how to manage it,” Lovell says.
“I have also been working on my first 20m and that’s improved so much. I reckon I can go faster in the blocks too so I’m looking at that.”
Returning to Sydney’s Northern Beaches earlier this month from New Delhi, Lovell’s off season has consisted of time spent at her family farm and working at home ahead of 2026 – where she plans to compete in the World Para Athletics Grand Prix series in Europe.
“My training partners were really happy to see me, they are the best squad! We have been travelling all over Sydney and Katie is the best coach; her and Mel [Gainsford-Taylor] are just so supportive,” Lovell says.
“I’m working at the Cerebral Palsy Alliance twice a week and in my free time I do school talks with Paralympics Australia, which helps to fill in the time around athletics.”
Lovell started athletics in 2016 having been invited by friends and fellow Australian representatives Olivia Inkster and Gabriella Taylor to join their squad, beginning with cross country before finding her niche on the Paralympic pathway in sprints.
The next global championships Lovell will target is the 2027 World Para Athletics Championships, before taking on the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games.
By Lachlan Moorhouse, Australian Athletics
Posted 30/10/2025
