Dubai 2023 Para Athletics GP: Alhammadi Claims Gold With Asian Record On Penultimate Day

Paralympic star and home favourite Mohammed Alhammadi produced an impressive performance to defeat his arch-rival Tunisia's Walid Ktila to take the gold medal and a new Asian record at the Dubai 2023 World Para Athletics Grand Prix 14th Fazza International Athletic Championships on the penultimate day of the competitions here.

Alhammadi, the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic silver and bronze medallist, raced in 49.36 secs for the gold medal in men's 400m T34 final ahead of Ktila (49.46 secs) and Canada's Austin Smeenk (49.97 secs) at the Dubai Club for People of Determination grounds.

"I am very happy to set an Asian record. This has boosted my confidence looking ahead to the season which has many important events including the World Championships and Asian Para Games. The 800m race was more about technique and I am happy to test my technique in that race. I will seat with my coach and decide on the work we need to do accordingly," said the 37-year-old Alhammadi who ended fifth in the men's 800m T34 race.

The host also boosted their campaign with a silver medal thanks to Maryam Alzeyoudi's 7.50 m throw in women's shot put final F40, finishing behind Tunisia's Nourhein Belhaj Salem (8.06 m) and ahead of Uzbekistan's Madina Muxtorova (7.17 m).

Another world record for Debrunner

Swiss star Catherine Debrunner continued her amazing run racing in 50.17 secs for the gold and a new world record in the women's 400 m wheelchair T53 final. Debrunner, who set two world records here in three days, was followed by Great Britain's Samantha Kinghorn (52.60 secs) and China's Hongzhuan Zhou (54.11 secs). The world record is though yet to be ratified by the World Para Athletics.

Meanwhile, her team-mate Swiss Silver Bullet Marcel Hug dominated the men's 400m T54 race taking the gold in 45.25 seconds.

After three days of competition, China led the medals tally with 80 medals including 31 gold medals, followed by Ukraine (17) and Uzbekistan (19) with eight and six golds, respectively. UAE sit in 14th place with six medals including two gold.

Altogether, six world records and 34 regional records have been broken at the championships that is the second World Para Athletics Grand Prix of the season.

Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Dubai 2023 Grand Prix has a participation of 700 athletes from 66 nations, who are aiming for the Minimum Eligibility Standard towards qualifying for the upcoming World Championships in Paris and Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.