Four world records fall on third day of IPC Athletics Grand Prix

Four world records fell on the third day of competition at the IPC Athletics Grand Prix in Dubai, UAE – the 7th Fazaa International Athletics Competition - as Tunisia’s multiple world and Paralympic champion Walid Ktila notched up his fourth victory of the meeting with a win the 100m T33/34.

The 29-year-old has already enjoyed wins over 200m, 400m and 800m this week, and he added to that tally on Tuesday (24 February) as he took victory in the shorter sprint.

Ktila, who set three world records on the track in Dubai 12 months ago, clocked 15.47 as he saw off his chief rivals, Switzerland’s Bojan Mitic and the UAE’s Mohamed Hammadi.

Three world records came out in the field:

Saudia Arabia’s Hani Alnakhli threw 28.76m with his second attempt to finish nearly three metres ahead of Algeria’s Paralympic champion Kamel Kardjena in the discus F33, a new world record mark.

Iraq’s Kovan Abdulraheem notched up his javelin F41 world record with a best throw of 42.54m in the men’s F40/41 event.

And Tunisia’s world discus F41 champion Raoua Tlili added to her shot put win a day ago with victory, and a new world record, in the women’s discus F40/41. Winner here last year, Tlili managed 28.98m (884 points) in her penultimate attempt to finish well clear of her rivals.

Great Britain’s Hannah Cockroft was another athlete to enjoy multiple wins in the UAE. Like fellow T34 racer Ktila, Cockroft added gold in the shorter sprint – clocking 18.37 in the 100m T32/34. There were celebrations too for local UAE athlete Noura Alktebi who broke the long standing T32 world record with her time of 37.37.

Frenchman Pierre Fairbank also made it four out of four on the Dubai Police Club track, clinching victory in the 100m T53 in 15.49.

Finland’s world, Paralympic and European champion Leo Pekka Tahti meanwhile showed that he remains the man to beat in the 100m T54. The 31-year-old got the better of the Netherlands’ Kenny van Weeghel as he crossed the line in 14.08.

Great Britain’s Paul Blake enjoyed a convincing win in the 400m T36 in a time of 56.26 – nearly seven seconds clear of the field, and there was victory too for Sofiane Hamdi in the 400m T37/38 in 54.81.

Another day and another win too for world long jump T12 champion Hilton Langenhoven, as the South African stopped the clock at 53.14 in the men’s 400m T12.

In the longer distances, the 5,000m T12/13/20/37/38 went to form as Morocco’s triple world champion El Amin Chentouf cruised to a straightforward win in 14:53.44, finishing over seven seconds ahead of his compatriot Youssef Benbrahim in second place.

In the 5,000m T54, five-time world champion Marcel Hug of Switzerland got the better of a field including Thai duo Rawat Tana and Prawat Wahoram, as well as Tunisia’s Yassine Gharbi and Germany’s Alhassane Balde. Hug clocked 11:18.38 for a repeat of his success here last year.

Russia’s world and Paralympic champion Alexey Ashapatov clinched victory in the shot put F57 with a fourth attempt of 13.28m, while Syria’s Mohamad Mohamad recorded a new Asian record in second place and Azerbaijan’s Samir Nabiyev finished third – a repeat of the podium finishes from last year.

In the women’s long jump T13/20/36/37/44 Germany’s Franziska Liebhardt (F37) got the better of her compatriot Claudia Nicoleitzik (F36) to seal the win with a leap of 4.44m (910 points).

Great Britain’s Joanna Butterfield threw 19.69m (1114 points) in the women’s club F51 - a new European record mark for the 35-year-old European champion.

More than 450 athletes from 45 countries are in Dubai for the IPC Athletics Grand Prix which will continue through to Wednesday (25 February).

Live results from the Dubai Grand Prix can be found at team-thomas.org.

The 2015 IPC Athletics Grand Prix series continues with the next event taking place in Brisbane, Australia next month. Meetings will then be held in Tunis, Tunisia; Beijing, China; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Mesa, USA; Nottwil, Switzerland; Grosseto, Italy, Berlin, Germany and the final which will be announced shortly.