News & Updates

Anna Grimaldi competes in the long jump T47 final on day 10 of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games at National Stadium (Photo: Getty Images).

International Results

SWITZERLAND
Diamond League, Athletissima, Stade de la Pontaise, Lausanne, 26 August: Tom Walsh SP 22.10m (2) (21.59, 22.05, 21.79, x, x, 22.10). Two time Olympic champion and world record holder Ryan Crouser won with his first round throw of 22.81m.

Walsh said that it was a good result and competition for him. “The weather was very cold but the great crowd made up for it. I was able to put pressure on Ryan. I think the key to challenging him is to put him under pressure early in the competition,” he said.
 
ITALY
Palio Città della Quercia, Rovereto, 31 August: George Beamish 3000m 7:42.39 PB (3). A two second improvement that takes him up one place to number five on the New Zealand all-time list. Jacko Gill SP 21.20m (2). (20.57, 20.53, 20.64, 20.53, 20.59, 21.20).
 
POLAND
World Athletics Continental Tour-Gold, Kamila Skolimowska Memorial, Stadion Śląski, Chorzów, 5 September: Tom Walsh was third in the shot put with his opening throw of 21.68m. His series was 21.68, x, x, x, 20.94, 21.26. Ryan Crouser, who holds the meet record of 22.70m from 2005 and the world record of 23.37m, won with his second-round effort of 22.39m. Joe Kovacs was second with 22.00m. Their next competition is the Diamond League in Zurich on Wednesday.
 
Zbigniew Ludwichowski Memorial, Olsztyn, 31 August: Tom Walsh SP 21.49m (1). (20.75, 21.32, 21.49, 21.28, 21.31, x).
 
Janusz Sidlo Memorial, Sopot, 30 August: Hamish Carson 1000m 2:21.16 (3).

Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games

New Zealand’s Para Athletes were outstanding securing three gold, two silver and two bronze medals during the nine days of track and field competition at the National Stadium.

27 August: Ben Tuimaseve F37 SP 13.31m (9), (12.86, 13.31, 13.21). He was 7cm shy of making the final eight. Tuimaseve holds the New Zealand F37 5kg record of 13.65m.

28 August: Lisa Adams F37 SP gold medal and a Paralympic record with a throw of 15.12m. Her series, which were all better than Franziska Liebhardt of Germany’s record of 13.96m set at the 2016 Rio Paralympics, were 14.36, 14.54, 14.50, 15.04, 15.12, 15.12. Her New Zealand and world record of 15.50m was set in Hastings in September last year. Caitlin Dore F37 SP 9.03m (8). Danielle Aitchison T36 in the heats of the 200m heats qualified for the final after winning heat 1 in 30.12 +0.2.
 
29 August: Danielle Aitchison T36 silver medal in the final of the 200m. Aitchison, who has a PB of 28.98, was second in 29.88 -0.4. Shi Yiting won equalling her world record of 28.21 and setting a Paralympic record.

30 August: William Stedman silver medal in the T36 long jump final. Stedman, who holds the New Zealand record at 5.68m, cleared 5.64m +0.1 in the final round to pip Roman Pavlyk of Ukraine by one centimetre for the silver.

31 August: On her 21st birthday, Anna Steven T64 qualified for the final of the 200m with one of the two qualifying times of 28.60 -0.1 (5H2). This time bettered her Oceania record of 30.33 set in Dubai in 2009. Anna Steven T64 200m final 28.88 (8).
 
Bronze medal for William Stedman T36 in the 400m final in 54.75. He also won bronze in the 400m five years ago in Rio. His New Zealand record of 53.65 was set at a Pre-Games competition in Auckland at the end of July.
 
1 September: Danielle Aitchison T36 heats 100m 14.35 -0.3 (1H1). Breaks her own Oceania (14.46) and NZ (14.44) Para Athlete records. Danielle Aitchison 100m final bronze medal 14.62 -0.6 (3).
 
2 September: Anna Steven T64 100m heats DQ, rule WPA 17.8.

3 September: Anna Grimaldi T47 long jump gold medal and a Paralympic record of 5.76m. Competing in steady rain, Grimaldi led throughout after an opening jump of 5.74m +0.6 which added 3cm to Iryna Leantsiuk of Belarus 2004 record. The 24-year-old, who won Gold in Rio five years ago, improved to 5.76m +0.1 in round four. Grimaldi has a PB of 5.91m from the Otago championships in February.

Holly Robinson F46 gold medal in the javelin throw. Defending champion from Rio Hollie Arnold held the lead with 39.73m going into the final round where Robinson produced a mighty throw of 40.99m to clinch the gold. Conditions were far from ideal with the rain continuing to fall in Tokyo. Robinson holds the world record of 45.73m set in Sydney in April 2019.

4 September: Lisa Adams F38 discus throw 29.69m (7). Series x, 29.69, 29.22, 28.80, x, x.