The penultimate day of the 2025 World Para Athletics Championships has arrived and there is no slowing down for the nation’s rising contingent, as Sam McIntosh’s time to shine dawns and Australia rolls into relay mode in New Delhi.
Australia has been made to wait until day eight of competition to see McIntosh (VIC, Fred Periac, T52) be unleashed, but the wheelchair racer’s time is now as he prepares for the race for the podium in the 100m T52 after a long history of fourth-place finishes.
The 35-year-old will be buoyed by his career-best and national record of 16.89-seconds coming in Canberra earlier this year, breaking 17-seconds for the first time in a feat achieved by only a handful of athletes in his class.
“It’s always a bit gut wrenching looking up at the scoreboard and seeing the names come through one by one, and yours is in fourth. It happened at the Paralympics in Rio and Tokyo, and at a few World Championships as well,” McIntosh said.
“This is the fastest season I have ever had. I’m really looking forward to the World Championships, to check out a new country with a new team and try to produce my best performance on the day.”
Australia will return to the Universal Relay for the first time in a long time today, with the 4x100m relay comprised of two men and two women who compete with a range of impairments highlighting the diversity within the Para-athletics cohort.
Set to field a team comprised of vision-impaired sprinter Nathan Jason (QLD, Vincent Jason, T12), arm amputee Lexie Brown (NSW, Zenon Kowalczyk, T47), Akeesha Snowden (SA, Lynn Larsen, T37) who competes with cerebral palsy and wheelchair racer Luke Bailey (NSW, Fred Periac, T54) – Australia will mix it with the world’s best in a bid to add another medal to its tally.
Seasoned campaigner and two-time world champion Cameron Crombie (ACT, Hamish MacDonald, F38) returns to the Shot Put F38 at the age of 39, hopeful of eclipsing the 15-metre marker once more.
The 2017 and 2019 world champion in the event and Australian record holder at 15.95m, Crombie will look to keep up with the rapidly progressing event – finishing fourth in his last Australian appearance at the 2023 World Para Athletics Championships in Paris.
The 100m T35 final will see the debutant duo of Jackson Love (NSW, Andrew Iselin, T35) and Jordan Fairweather (VIC, Duane Girton, T35) round out their respective championships in style, having both qualified in yesterday’s heats.
Leading the first-round action, dual silver medallist Rheed McCracken (NSW, Louise Sauvage, T34) gears up for his final event of the championships in the heats of the 800m T34, while the trio of Rhiannon Clarke (WA, Danny Kevan, T38), Briseis Brittain (NT, Roger Chin, T38) and Layla Sharp (NSW, Rob Marks, T38) all prepare to fire in the 400m T38 heats.
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 4/10/2025
