News & Updates

Danielle Aitchison today celebrated a world record performance set in the women’s 100m T36 on Friday at the Jennian Homes New Zealand Track & Field Championships in Wellington.

The 22-year-old athlete from Hamilton blitzed to a time of 13.41 (0.8) to place sixth in the senior women’s 100m final – behind gold medallist Zoe Hobbs – to carve 0.20 from the previous world record time of Yiteng Shi set at the Tokyo Paralympics.  

Following overnight clarification from World Para Athletics, it has been confirmed that Danielle’s run in the senior women’s 100m can be eligible as a world record performance.

The record is subject to the normal ratification process.

Danielle has been in outstanding form all season and knocking on the door of the world record for some weeks. The World Para 100m T36 silver medallist and 200m T36 gold medallist ran 13.65 at the Porritt Classic in Hamilton last month before chipping 0.02 from that time at the Sir Graeme Douglas International presented by Harcourts Cooper & Co.

A delighted Aitchison said: “I received the text (confirming the world record), I’m so happy it counts, I did an amazing job yesterday and for it to count is amazing.

“We didn’t go out to aim to break the world record, I just went in there to try and push myself in an open race and run as fast as I can. To get the world record was a bonus. To be involved at that level of racing and chasing the other (senior) girls and to break the world record is another (career) highlight.”

Danielle will be next in action at the Jennian Homes New Zealand Track & Field Championships in the heats of the senior women’s 200m women’s from 11.10am on Sunday. The world record time in the women’s 200m T36 set by Shi currently stands at 28.17.