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World record holders and reigning Paralympic champions take centre stage on Super Saturday at the World Para Athletics Championships, as Vanessa Low and James Turner get ready to fire at Charlety Stadium in Paris.
The action follows three-time Paralympian Rosemary Little’s emotional first global medal in 10 years and Australia’s fifth of the Championships when she secured bronze on Day 6.
Little’s second round 6.33 metres in the Shot Put F32 took her past the 6.26m of UAE’s Mounia Gasmi.
“I never thought the words ‘field event medallist’ would come out of my mouth,” Little said.
“I probably put it down to pure stubbornness. When I got the spinal tumour in 2017 which caused an incomplete C2 spinal injury, I had to switch to shot put.”
Watch the World Para Athletics Championships live on 9Now.
It's been 10 years between global medals but Rosemary Little has won Australia's 5th medal in Paris, with a bronze in the Shot Put F32 with a 6.33m personal best. 🥉👏
— Athletics Australia (@AthsAust) July 14, 2023
Compatriot Sarah Clifton-Bligh also celebrates a PB, with a put of 5.26m for 7th place. #ThisIsAthletics pic.twitter.com/K9l4LpBDrL
The medal added to Little’s London 2012 Paralympic bronze and 2013 World Championships silver and bronze.
“This one is slightly different because it comes from a place of a lot of hard work, fighting my way out of a place of being severely disabled,” Little said. “I could have sat in a power chair and not done a lot and accepted my fate, but the athlete in me keeps on going.”
Complementing Little’s performance, teenager Sarah Clifton-Bligh added another appearance on the world stage to her name with a personal best of 5.26m for seventh place.
Related: Day 1 Wrap – ‘Flying’ Strong Strikes Gold, De Rozario Set For Track Return
Related: Day 2 Wrap – ‘Gutsy Clifford Wins Silver, Turner Breezes Into 400m Final’
Little’s win was a fitting prelude to Super Saturday. The last time spectators saw Long Jump world record holder Low on the world stage, the 32-year-old raised the T61 mark three times during competition at Tokyo 2020, sealing a second Paralympic gold in front of husband Scott Reardon. Now the German-born Australian makes her first appearance in the green and gold as a mother to 11-month-old Matteo with her husband by her side as coach.
“It’s been really rewarding returning to the sport as a parent,” Low said. “When I decided to give parenting and training a go, we didn’t know how it was going to go but we gave it a shot and here we are.”
Low will compete in Paris with her family in the stands as she builds back to her form that saw her clinch the Paralympic title with a 5.28m landing.
“No one really knows how the recovery after birth goes and how my body was going to react to it,” she said.
“I knew it was going to look very different but to be here is an absolute bonus and I definitely don’t take it for granted.”
Low takes on Italian Martina Caironi who owns the T63 world record of 5.46m, set in June 2022.
Eight time gold medalist Turner – who earlier won the 400m T36 – competes in the 100m T36, in which he was a silver medallist at the Tokyo Games. Turner qualified second fastest 12.18 (-3.4).
Related: Day 3 Wrap – Aussie Speedsters Flex At World Athletics Championships
Related: Day 4 Wrap – Burian Idolised Zelezny, Now Seeks Javelin Gold For Australia
Related: Day 5 Wrap – ‘I Know I Have It In Me’: Sprint Duo Ripe For 200 Final
Also in action, after capturing Australia’s first gold medal of the Championships, Maria Strong enters the Shot Put F33 Final, in which they are a Paralympic bronze medallist.
Elsewhere, Jackson Hamilton makes his international debut in the Javelin F13 Final. The vision-impaired 20-year-old will lean on his body awareness and feeling as well as other senses such as hearing to assess his six throws over the series. Competing in a compact field, Hamilton’s capacity to produce his best on the big stage will define his bid for a dream debut medal.
Later in the day Mali Lovell and Abby Crawell race in the 200m T36 Final, team co-captain Angie Ballard contests her favoured 400m in the T53 final. The former world record holder will look to emulate the form that reaped fifth place in 57.61 at the Tokyo Games.
Among the other results the previous day, Rhiannon Clarke and Ella Pardy placed fourth and fifth, respectively, in the 200m T38 Final.
Another final in the bag for Aussie duo Rhiannon Clarke and Ella Pardy, as they place 5th and 6th consecutively in the Women's 200m T38 Final 💚💛
— Athletics Australia (@AthsAust) July 14, 2023
🇦🇺 – Clarke – 27.10 for 4th (-0.3)
🇦🇺 – Pardy – 27.41 for 5th (-0.3)#ThisIsAthletics @AUSParalympics @ParaAthletics pic.twitter.com/XSHCDXWRG2
By: Athletics Australia and David Sygall, Paralympics Australia
Posted: 15 July 2023
