The first day of competition and already a flurry of records on the Charléty track. A total of one world record and nine World Championship records were achieved. Big performances to kick off PARIS’23 in style.
Throwing side
It’s official: it’s the F55 shot put event that has set the first world record at these Championships, courtesy of Bulgarian Ruzhdi RUZHDI. The latter threw 12m68 to claim a third world title in his career, following Paralympic gold in Rio in 2016 and silver in Tokyo in 2021.
Many championship records were also broken in the various throwing events. The one that caught the public’s attention was the F38 javelin throw by Colombian Jose Gregorio Lemos. His throw of 58m14 at the second attempt gave him his first world championship title.
In the F41 shot put, the Tunisian, already Paralympic champion in Tokyo and world record holder (10m55), won at Charléty with a throw of 10m15, ahead of Uzbekistan’s Kubaro KHAKIMOVA (9m83) and Colombia’s Mayerli BUITRAGO (9m62).
Jump side
With a jump of 5m13 (a new World Championships record), Uzbekistan’s long jumper Asila Mirzayorova won the first gold medal of these World Championships in the T11 long jump. She beat Brazil’s Lorena Salvatini (4m91) and China’s Guohua Zhou (4m83). In the same competition, France’s Delya Boulaghlem finished penultimate.
In the men’s event, China’s Dongdong Di won gold with a jump of 6m38. He won the event ahead of his compatriot Tao Ye (6m25) and Spain’s Joan Munar Martinez (6m15). Despite a euphoric crowd at each of his jumps, France’s Ronan Pallier finished fifth (6m01).
Race side
The track at the Stade Charléty had a reputation for speed and it proved that today. Right from the start of the morning, the times went wild with the T12 100m and the performance of American Noah Malone. At just 21 years of age, he broke the line in 10.50s and came close to the world record (10.43s).
He’s not the only American to have amazed audiences. En 100m T38, Jaydin Blackwell. qualified for the final and beat the World Championships record in his category (10.87s). In this race, France’s Dimitri Jozwicki secured his ticket for the final with fourth place.
Other French competitors on the track were Julien Casoli and Thibault Daurat, who qualified for the final of the T54 5000m. A qualification based on experience for Julien Casoli. For his first World Championships, Thibaut Daurat reaches the final
In the only frame-runner events at these world championships, Britain’s Gavin Drysdale won the men’s race to the roar of the crowd, setting a European record. On the women’s side, it was Australian Maria Strong who took the world title in this event.
Among the headliners, Japan’s Tomoki Sato once again impressed in the T52 1500m. World champion in London in 2017 and Dubai in 2019, he made it three by winning the gold medal on the Paris track.
Stand side
After a successful opening ceremony, the World Para Athletics Championships – PARIS’23 are now being celebrated not only through sporting performances, but also in the stands. After Feder, it was Sala Cissé’s turn to open the evening before giving way to the athletes. A DJ set to entertain some 6,500 spectators who came to watch the day’s competitions.
Tomorrow, The Avener will have the task of bringing the atmosphere to the Stade Charléty before attending the famous 400m T11 men’s and T64 women’s long jump events, but above all the 17 finals of the day.