Para-Athletics Worlds: Sun Pengxiang, Wen Xiaoyan set World Records as Chinese stars dominate

Kobe (Japan): Chinese para-athlete Sun Pengxiang won men’s javelin throw F41 gold with a new world record while Wen Xiaoyan lowered her own world record by winning the women’s 200m T37 final at the Para-Athletics World Championship here on Saturday. Liu Cuiqing set a new world record by triumphing in the women’s 200m T11 final.

With a throw of 48.94 meters in his second attempt, the 33-year-old Sun Pengxiang wowed the Universiade Memorial Stadium in Kobe by shattering the world record previously set by himself last year in Hangzhou. “I didn’t see that coming because my recent training lacked intensity due to my age and injuries, and I’m delighted with today’s performance,” said Sun, adding that he would further adjust himself for the upcoming 2024 Paris Paralympic Games.

Iran’s Sadegh Beit Sayah and India’s Navdeep took the silver and bronze with throws of 47.92m and 42.82m respectively, in the field competition for athletes with short stature.

The 26-year-old Wen Xiaoyan sprinted across the finish line in 25.75 seconds at the Universiade Memorial Stadium in Kobe, smashing the previous peak of 26.18 seconds set by herself in Hangzhou, just days after she refreshed the women’s 100m T37 world record. Wen, retaining her world championship title in the women’s long jump T37, has bagged four gold medals in short-distance races, universal relay and long jump during the nine-day tournament.

Noting that her record-breaking run was within expectations, Wen told Xinhua she felt she could have done better. Asked about the trick of breaking two world records in this tournament, Wen, with a huge smile on her face, said: “The secret lies in non-stop accumulation, scientific and systematic training, a lot of brainwork, and the spirit to overcome difficulties.”

The top para-athlete added that she would step up efforts in training her performance on the curve shortly. Taylor Swanson of the United States and China’s Jiang Fenfen finished second and third with personal bests of 26.89 seconds and 27.02 seconds in the race for athletes with coordination impairments.

With a throw of 48.94 meters in his second attempt, the 33-year-old Sun Pengxiang wowed the Universiade Memorial Stadium in Kobe by shattering the world record previously set by himself last year in Hangzhou. “I didn’t see that coming because my recent training lacked intensity due to my age and injuries, and I’m delighted with today’s performance,” said Sun, adding that he would further adjust himself for the upcoming 2024 Paris Paralympic Games.

Iran’s Sadegh Beit Sayah and India’s Navdeep took the silver and bronze with throws of 47.92m and 42.82m respectively, in the field competition for athletes with short stature.

The Kobe Para Athletics World Championships, held in East Asia for the first time, serve as a crucial qualifier for the Paris Paralympics. The championships have attracted over 1,000 athletes from 100 countries and regions competing in 168 events.

A total of 73 Chinese para-athletes are competing in the championships, which will conclude on Saturday. Originally scheduled for 2021, the event was postponed twice due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

–IANS