Back To News
Paralympic champion Vanessa Low’s preparation for Paris 2024 has taken a giant leap with gold in the long jump on Day 7 of the World Para Athletics Championships in Japan.
Australian team colleague Mali Lovell also boosted her run into Paris with a bronze medal in the 200m T36.
It was a dominant display from Low, who returned to her peak with a new championship record jump of 5.29m (-0.1), just short her own world record of 5.33m in the T63 classification.
Securing an emphatic 63cm victory over silver medallist Tomomi Tozawa of Japan, Low delivered a slick series with four jumps over the five-metre barrier, coasting to gold to set up her Paralympic title defence in Paris.
“This is just so exciting. I know there is more there, but I’m so happy to be in this position given the challenging prep leading up to this moment,” Low said.
“I had about a 10-week injury break from jumping, and the prep for this was really difficult.
“We didn’t want to jeopardise Paris by coming here, but I’m really glad that I came and I’m really happy with how I performed.
“After last year, I was confident that I could build back up to my normal self. Going into Paris last year, it was probably a bit rushed but I’m a better athlete now than I was before pregnancy and more physically capable than I was before I was a mother.
“Being a mother gives me some extra superpowers and I’m looking forward to seeing what I can do in Paris, knowing we still have about 100 days to go.”
Lovell, 19, earned her second consecutive global medal showing why she is an exciting prospect on debut at the upcoming Paralympic Games.
Lovell clocked a time just 0.14-seconds off her Australian record to win bronze behind Kiwi sprint sensation Danielle Aitchison and China’s Shi Yiting.
“I was pretty nervous but as soon as the gun set off, I just went!” Lovell said.
“It’s just so surreal, the hard work has paid off. I have been training hard and getting all the one-percenters done, that’s what matters.
“I’m not sure how much faster I can go, we’ll find out in Paris.”
Fellow Australian Abby Craswell made the 200m T36 final, picking up sixth place with a time of 34.40, backing up her fifth-place finish in the 100m T36.
Adding to the finals action, Jackson Hamilton clinched fifth in the javelin throw F13 with a 58.72m effort to build further experience in his budding career.
In other results, the versatile Sarah Clifton Bligh just missed out on the 800m T34 final and placed seventh in the shot put F32 (5.28m), and fifth in Heat 2 of the 100m T34 (23.84).
Former world champion Corey Anderson nabbed fourth in the javelin throw F38, and Australia’s fastest Paralympian Chad Perris repeated his feats from the 2023 edition of the championships, missing the podium by a whisker with a 10.82 (+0.9) run.
Global medallist Sarah Walsh flew to a season’s best of 5.14m in the long jump T64 for fourth place as she builds up to her third Paralympic Games. Three-time Paralympic medallist Jaryd Clifford raced to his second consecutive sixth place in the 1500m, while Ari Gesini also leapt to sixth place in the long jump T38. Australian record holder Samuel Rizzo just missed out on the 1500m T54 final, crossing the finish line in 2:04.24.
Rising wheelchair racing star Luke Bailey secured his place in the Day 8 final for the 100m T54 with Samuel Carter crossing the line fifth in his heat, missing out on a lane in the final.
The World Para Athletics Championships continues until Saturday, May 25 and can be watched live and free on Nine’s digital platform, 9now.
By Natalie McGarry, Paralympics Australia and Athletics Australia.
Published 24 May, 2024.
