Debutants Rise To The Occasion At World Para Athletics Championships 

Australia has exploded out of the blocks to kick-start the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic cycle, with a rising crop of Para-athletes serving up a 2025 World Para Athletics Championships overflowing with pride and potential across nine days in New Delhi, India. 

Australia finished the competition with 13 medals, the 11th most of any country, headlined by world titles to Paralympic stars Vanessa Low in the long jump T63 and James Turner in the 400m T36. The Australian team blooded 24 debutants in a significant initial step in Australian Athletics’ Para strategy, supported through the Australian Sports Commission’s Para Uplift. 

 Comprising nearly half the team size of 49 athletes, the first timers rose to the occasion with 58 percent of the debutants delivering a personal best and 67 percent producing a season’s best on the world stage. 

 Of the 10 Australian records that fell in New Delhi, nine came at the hands of debutants including the likes of vision-impaired sprinter Nathan Jason (100m T12) and 14-year-old arm amputee Lexie Brown (200m T47). 

 “It was clear from the team size and number of debutants that this campaign was about investing in the future. To see their immediate progress in New Delhi is not only reassuring but very exciting,” Australian Athletics General Manager – High Performance Andrew Faichney said. 

 “The team is led by a handful world-class performers who did exactly that at these championships, none more so than Vanessa Low and James Turner among Australia’s 13 medallists, who demonstrated first-hand the level required to be a global champion. 

 “To give so many new athletes exposure to that level and environment is something that we are really proud of and an initiative that lays the foundations for success in Los Angeles 2028, Brisbane 2032 and beyond.”  

 The team secured 24 personal bests and 35 season’s bests across the nine days of competition, with wheelchair racer Rheed McCracken (100m, 400m T34) and sprinter Mali Lovell (100m, 200m T36) becoming dual medallists with two silvers each. 

 With 12 teenagers on the team including Kirra Wirght (shot put F36) who lit the flame on Australia’s campaign with silver on the opening day of competition, the 2025 World Para Athletics Championships may be remembered as the birthplace of the next generation of Australian Para-athletics stars. 

 A fitting finale to the action was Australia’s bronze in the universal 4x100m relay which showcased not only the diversity within the Para-athletics cohort, but also an emerging group who are willing to uphold the values of teamwork and camaraderie to achieve the ultimate. 

 With friendships made and foundations laid, thank you New Delhi. 

Medals

Gold (2):

Silver (6):

Bronze (5):

Australian Records (10):

By: Australian Athletics

Published: 7 October 2025