New Delhi, Sep 29 (NationPress) Sabrina Fortune from Great Britain secured her fourth women's shot put F20 gold medal by breaking the world record at the 2025 World Para Athletics Championships held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium today. Meanwhile, India's Rinku Hooda made headlines by winning the men's javelin throw F46 gold, overcoming the previous three champions.

On Monday evening, five championship records were shattered, with Rinku Hooda's achievement being the highlight. He threw the javelin a remarkable distance of 66.37m in the intense finals, outdoing his seasoned teammate Sundar Singh Gurjar. The crowd was eager for a medal sweep, hoping Ajeet Singh could add to the tally.

The match was thrilling, featuring two Indian athletes vying for the championship record. Rinku Hooda set a new mark with a throw of 63.81m initially, but Sundar Singh Gurjar countered with 64.11m on his third attempt to take the lead. In a dramatic comeback, Rinku Hooda reclaimed the record with his fifth throw to secure the victory.

Defending champion Guillermo Varona Gonzalez from Cuba took home the bronze with a distance of 53.34m, while Ajeet Singh finished fourth at 61.77m. Rinku Hooda’s triumph against the previous three champions, including Sundar Singh Gurjar who had won in 2019, showcased his resilience and prowess in javelin.

Despite the overwhelming support from fans cheering for the Indian trio in the javelin finals, Sabrina Fortune made her mark early on by achieving the world record with her first throw exceeding 16.75m. Each of her following attempts, ranging from 13.99m to 15.71m, were enough to guarantee her gold.

Surprised by her record-breaking performance, Sabrina expressed, "I wasn't expecting that today. It’s so hot, and many things have gone wrong this past week. This moment brings me immense joy, and I can't put it into words!" She reflected on her journey as a four-time world champion and credited her success to a supportive coach and training facilities. "Believing in yourself is essential for continuous improvement," she added.

In other events, Catherine Debrunner from Switzerland, a day after winning the 5000m T54 gold, returned to clinch the 800m T53 title with a time of 1:40.15, breaking the previous record by nearly 15 seconds. Joel De Jong from the Netherlands won the men’s long jump T63, surpassing the former championship record, while Angie Nicoll Mejia Morales from Colombia won the women's 100m T38.

Zou Lijuan from China also made headlines by bettering her own women's javelin throw F34 record set in 2017. Her victory, alongside Zao Caiyun, helped China top the medal leaderboard with four golds, seven silvers, and three bronzes, outperforming Brazil's haul. India, with Rinku Hooda and Sundar Singh Gurjar's 1-2 finish, ascended to sixth place with two golds, two silvers, and one bronze.

Before the men's F46 javelin throw began, Chaiwat Rattana from Thailand, who set a new world record in the men’s 400m T34 heats, claimed gold with a time of 48.01 seconds, maintaining his composure after trailing at the halfway mark.

The results (finals):

Men

400m T34: 1. Chaiwat Rattana (Thailand) 48.01 seconds; 2. Rheed McCracken (Australia) 48.67; 3. Austin Smeenk (Canada) 49.43.

400m T53: 1. Pongsakorn Paeyo (Thailand) 46.81; 2. Yoo Byunghoon (South Korea) 49.29; 3. Vitali Gritsenko (Neutral Para Athlete) 49.37.

Long Jump T63: 1. Joel De Jong (Netherlands) 7.57 (New Championships Record. Old: 7.25, Leon Schaefer, Germany, 2023); 2. Leon Schaefer (Germany) 7.45; 3. Daniel Wagner (Denmark) 7.20.

Discus Throw F52: Aigars Apinis (Latvia) 19.32; 2. Andre Rocha (Brazil) 18.79; 3. Velmr Sandor (Croatia) 18.09.

Javelin Throw F46: 1. Rinku Hooda (India) 66.37m (New Championships Record. Old: 61.89, Guo C, China, 2015); 2. Sundar Singh Gurjar (India) 64.76; 3. Guillermo Varona Gonzalez (Cuba) 63.34; 4. Ajeet Singh (India) 61.77.

Women

100m T38: 1. Angie Nicoll Mejia Morales (Colombia) 12.34 seconds (New Championships Record. Old: Angie Nicoll Mejia Morales, Colombia, 2025); 2. Karen Tatiana Palomeque Moreno (Colombia) 12.36; 3. Lida Maria Manthopolou (Greece) 12.72.

100m T47: 1. Kiara Rodriguez (Ecuador) 11.97; 2. Maria Clara Augusto Silva (Brazil) 12.20; 3. Marie Ngoussou Ngouyi (France) 12.29.

400m T11: 1. Thalita Vitoria Simplicio da Silva (Brazil) 59.76; 2. Juliana Ngleya Moko (Angola) 1:01.42; 3. Melissa Baldera (Peru) 1:03.84.

800m T53: 1. Catherine Debrunner (Switzerland) 1:40.16 (New Championships Record. Old: 1:52.15, M de Rozario, Australia, 2019); 2. Zhou Hongzhuan (China) 1:47.71; 3. Hamide Dogangun (Turkiye) 1:47.99.

800m T54: 1. Lea Bayekula (Belgium) 1:48.91; 2. Zhou Zhaoqian (China) 1:49.46; 3. Melaine Woods (Great Britain) 1:49.59.

Shot Put F20: 1. Sabrina Fortune (Great Britain) 16.75m (New World Record. Old WR: 15.75, Sabrina Fortune, 2025, Old CR: 14.73, Sabrina Fortune, 2024); 2. Ebrar Keskin (Turkiye) 13.80; 3. Aleksandra Zaitseva (Neutral Para Athlete) 13.74.

Javelin Throw F34: 1. Zou Lijuan (China) 21.41m (New Championships Record. Old: 20.47, Zou Lijuan, China, 2017); 2. Zao Caiyun (China) 20.58; 3. Dayna Crees (Australia) 18.97.