Emirati Mohammed Alhammadi gives UAE its first medal in Dubai Para Athletics Championships

Local favourite Mohammed Alhammadi claimed the silver in the men’s 400m T34 finals to give the host UAE its first medal at the Dubai 2019 World Para Athletics Championships even as eight world records fell at the Dubai Club for People of Determination Stadium on Saturday.

Alhammadi finished the race in 51.11 seconds to end behind Tunisia’s multiple-time Paralympic and World champion Walid Ktila (50.54s). People’s Republic of China’s Yang Wang was third with a personal best timing of 52.84s.

The Paralympic medallist Alhammadi, who has a season’s best of 50.27s, later said: “There was too much wind today. I finished second today, though I wanted to win the gold. I have the 100 metres tomorrow but it will be difficult. I am not a sprinter but a middle-distance racer. I will try to my best.”

On his preparation plans for Tokyo 2020, he added: “There will be only 100m and 800m but no 400m at Tokyo. I will be competing here in the 800m as well. So, I will have to train accordingly.”

Another highlight of the day was the double world-record breaking performances by Yiting Shi in the women’s 200m T36.  Another breaking the record of Fang Wang in the heats this morning, Shi returned in the evening to do it again, clocking 28.21s for a new world record.

Golden surprise for Correy

Australia’s teenager Correy Anderson pulled off a surprise win breaking his own world record in his first World Championships. He hurled the spear to a distance of 56.28m in the men’s javelin throw F38 finals.

“I was surprised. I didn’t think I would get that. At the warmup, I had a bit of an injury, I rolled my ankle. And then I didn’t think anything special was going to happen but this is what it has led to.

“My plan is going back home to Queensland, going back to the QAS (Queensland Academy of Sport) and talking to my coaches to see what we are going to do step by step to Tokyo,” said the 19-year-old who plans to get his fifth tattoo if he wins a medal in Tokyo.

Ukraine’s Ihor Tsvietov was among the world-record breaking performers of the day as he raced in 23.04 seconds to take the gold in the men’s 200m T35, while Algeria’s Nassima Saifi hurled the discus to a distance of 35.76 metres for the gold and a new world record.

In the men’s 400m T37 final, it was a one-two podium for Russia with Andrei Vdovin bettering his own world record and the gold in 50.45 seconds ahead of his compatriot Chermen Kobesov (50.97s)  

The morning session belonged to New Zealand’s Lisa Adams who dominated in the women’s shotput F37 with a throw of 14.80m for a world record and the gold.

After three days, China leads the medals tally with 16 medals followed by Ukraine (10) and Brazil (8).