Grand Prix 2024: Familiar starring role for Debrunner, Alkemade impresses in Nottwil

If you thought the excitement would slow down following the Kobe 2024 Para Athletics World Championship, then take a look at what happened at the Nottwil 2024 World Para Athletics Grand Prix. 

Last weekend’s action in Switzerland for the latest Grand Prix of the season brought a new wave of thrilling action, some iconic champions and a few more statements of intent ahead of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. 

Leading from the front

Nobody had a more impressive weekend than a Dutch sprinter, a local star and a wheelchair racer from the United States.

Netherlands’ Kimberly Alkemade was at her very best in the women's 100m T64 for the gold, and in the process set a world record time* of 12.46. It was 0.20 faster than the previous world record set in the same track five years ago and a result that puts her in a perfect spot for the coming months.

"This is the result of months of intensive training, discipline, and dedication. Yet, this race felt very relaxed, and I hit every step. This confirms that I am ready for Paris," Alkemade said about the race.

USA's Susannah Scaroni set a new world record in the women's 5000m T54 (10:25.00) on day three and praised all the competitors as the race had to be rerun following technical issues with the official results the day before. 

"These past 12 hours have held two races that I’ll never forget with women who push our sport to its limits. I love having them on and off the track and just really feeling blessed with the opportunity to share with them," Scaroni posted on social media.

At the heart of the Grand Prix were a group of established Swiss stars, in the form of Debrunner, Marcel Hug and Manuela Schaer.

And for Debrunner, the event was even more special as she set a new world record* in the women’s 1500m T53/54 (3.05.79). It was one of the five victories she picked on home soil.

"I am very, very happy with the results. Competing in so many events was good practice before the Paralympics. I want to compete over as many distances as possible there, so it will be a similarly intensive time. I was able to try out a lot here. Most of it has worked out," Debrunner said.

A Saturday that brought the very best to Nottwil 💫

📸 - Tobias Lackner#ParaAthletics | #Nottwil2024 pic.twitter.com/jyi6ljpjM6

— #ParaAthletics (@ParaAthletics) June 9, 2024

For Hug, it was absolutely the same as usual. The man dubbed the Swiss Silver Bullet fired his way to a series of five golds, including the 800m all coming fresh off the back of a memorable stretch of competitions that included Boston Marathon gold. 

Elsewhere, Great Britain’s speed machine Sammi Kinghorn got the better of Debrunner in the T53 100m, setting her own personal best in the process. It wasn’t her only success either, finding the line first in the T53/54 1500m and setting another lifetime best time in the process, with 3:06:47 her new record.

Complete results from the Nottwil 2024 Grand Prix can be found here. 

What will be next?

We’ve got just one Grand Prix to go, but it’s a very significant one as we head to a place that is going to be our home for the next few months: Paris.

With just a week in between Nottwil and Paris, it’s the quickest turnaround of the entire calendar and it promises to be three frantic days of action as stars from not only Europe but across the globe come for one final piece of preparation in the host city of this summer’s Paralympic Games.

And as ever, you’ll be able to watch your favourite athletes in action throughout the weekend. Keep an eye on our social media channels for more information on how you can watch the action as it happens.

Relive Nottwil

The action may be over, but you can relive every second if you want! Just head to https://rollstuhlsport.asport.tv/parathletics and enjoy each race from Nottwil. 

*World records to be ratified by World Para Athletics.