Dubai 2025 GP: Paralympic stars Hug, Ghavelas and Wen race to gold

The Dubai 2025 Grand Prix came to a close with several seasoned stars and newcomers making a mark at the recently renovated Dubai Club for People of Determination grounds over four days.

It was the first Grand Prix of the season and the thrill and excitement in the event was an indication of what’s awaited in the rest of the year, which includes the World Para Athletics Championships in New Delhi, India from 26 September to 5 October.

#Dubai2025 Grand Prix: last race day is 🔛

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— Para Athletics (@ParaAthletics) February 13, 2025

Top performers

Much like earlier seasons, Swiss legend Marcel Hug opened 2025 with a bang, clinching gold medals in all the three races he competed in – 800m, 1500m and 5000m men’s T54 finals.

Hug, a regular at the Fazza Para Athletics Grand Prix, continued his amazing run of form from the Sharjah International Open meet where he had clinched several gold medals as well earlier in the month in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). 

“Happy to start the year with some gold medals. I am looking forward to the season to have some amazing races at the major marathons,” said the seven-time Paralympic gold medallist.  

Hug’s team mate Patricia Eachus filled the absence of Swiss great Catherine Debrunner claiming four gold medals in 400m, 800m, 1500m and 5000m women’s wheelchair T54 races. 

Among other Paris 2024 champions, China’s nine-time Paralympic winner Xiaoyan Wen raced to gold in women’s 100m T37/38 final. Her compatriot and former Paralympic star Lijuan Zou also impressed in the class F34 women’s throw events.

Belgium’s Maxime Carabin continued his stellar form in the United Arab Emirates. He clinched three gold medals in the men’s wheelchair 100m, 400m and 1500m T52 races. 

Greek sprinter Athanasios Ghavelas started the season with a gold in the men’s 100m T11 in Dubai but hoped for better timing in the upcoming events.

“I’m so happy to be here. But the timing wasn’t good today as my guide [Giannis Nyfantopoulos] slipped in the starting block and we had to start again. We look forward to doing well at the World Championships,” said Ghavelas, who became the first Greek to win gold in two consecutive Games in Paris.

Iranian Paralympic champion Saeid Afrooz also emerged winner in Dubai.

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Host UAE make a mark

Overall, India, led by T64 sprinter Pranav Prashant Desai; Saudi Arabia, led by their Paris 2024 Paralympic hero Abdulrahman Alqurashi (T53); and Kenya finished in top three of medal standings. 

The hosts UAE too made a mark at the competition, apart from organising another successful event, taking eight gold medals to finish in the fourth place. 

In the absence of their Paralympic star Mohammed Hammadi, promising Mohamad Othman gave the hosts a gold on the opening day winning the men’s 100m wheelchair T34 final before claiming two bronze medals in 400m and 800m races. Surely, UAE got a new star in wheelchair racing. 

Among others, Kobe 2024 world champion in the women’s shot put F40 Maryam Al Zeyoudi and Sara Aljneibi, Rio 2016 bronze medallist in the women’s shot put F33, lived up to the home expectations to achieve success.

Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mansoor Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the season-opening Grand Prix witnessed 370 Para athletes from 42 nations competing over four days.

All results from the championships can be found here.

The focus will next move to New Delhi for the second Grand Prix of the season. This is the first time that India will host a Para Athletic Grand Prix, which will be more of a rehearsal for the forthcoming World Para Athletics Championships later this year.