Dan Pembroke defended his world title on a Super Saturday at the World Para Athletics Championships that saw the Novuna GB&NI team win seven medals in New Delhi.
The other gold of the day came from Hannah Cockroft as she claimed her third gold of the championships with victory in the women’s T34 800m. Karé Adenegan won silver in a British 1-2 behind Cockroft, as Jonathan Broom-Edwards won high jump silver. Michael Jenkins, Anna Nicholson and Lydia Church delivered three bronzes in the shot put on a bumper day.
Pembroke (John Trower, Windsor Slough Eton Hounslow) threw a season’s best of 68.51 to win his third straight world title to add to his two Paralympic golds, setting his furthest mark with his final throw. “It was a relief – I didn’t tell anyone, but I haven’t thrown a javelin for four and a half weeks,” he said.
“I was just trying to find my head out there – I’m ecstatic with the win, but I’m always looking to push my performance and the world record more and more. Without any injury, I’d be a bit disappointed – but I went out and smashed it, so it’s great.
“We’ll have to see what craft beers we’ve got in the hotel!” Cockroft (Paul Moseley, Leeds) claimed world title number 19 with a championship record time of 1:49.88 in the T34 800m, with Kare Adenegan (Arno Mul, Coventry) second in a season’s best of 2:03.91.
Cockroft said: “I’m buzzing with that one – that’s the performance I’m most proud of here. It’s just relief – it always gets tougher.” Fabienne André (Chris Parsloe, Sutton & District) came fourth with a performance of 2:11.36 as China’s Lan Hanyu completed the podium.
Broom-Edwards (Deidre Elmhirst, Newham and Essex Beagles) won a seventh consecutive world medal with silver in the men’s T64 high jump. The two-time Paralympic medallist produced a season’s best effort of 2.00m to claim silver behind Temurbek Giyazov of Uzbekistan.
He said: “I’m so happy to still be here – a year ago I didn’t know if I’d ever walk again, let alone jump, but to be jumping pain-free is great. I know I’ve got more there – I’ve just had a really rough season.
“The most important thing is LA is around the corner – I’m back, I’m still here and happy I can still use my body in the way I want it to.” Minutes before, Jenkins (Ryan Spencer-Jones, Swansea) delivered a European record throw of 18.84m to win bronze in the men’s F38 shot put after a huge throw to set a new World Record by the Colombian, Moreno Denis.
Luke Nuttall (Sonia and Chris McGeorge, Charnwood) produced a season’s best time to claim fourth in the men’s T46 1500m final with a time of 3:57.49. Nathan Maguire (Ste Hoskins, Kirkby) made it through to the men’s T54 800m final with the fastest time in his heat, posting 1:36.00.
In the morning session, Church (Mark Edwards, Peterborough & Nene Valley) won a first world medal with bronze in the women’s F12 shot put with a furthest throw of 12.60m, just 7 cm off her personal best. She was in silver position until the final attempt by China's Zhao, who threw a season's best to finish second.
Church last stood on an international podium in 2021 when she won European silver, and her return to the medals came after time away from competing. “I’ve only done two competitions before this as I was recovering from a back operation – so this was just about enjoying it,” she said.
“I was just building up and managed to qualify for this – this was not the goal, and I didn’t even expect to be here. I’ve come out with a medal, so I can’t ask for more than that!”
Her result was matched by co-captain Nicholson (Richard Kaufman, Gateshead), who threw a personal best of 9.58 in the women’s shot put F35 to claim bronze. That followed a medal of the same colour at the Paris Paralympics last year.
She said: “I’m over the moon – I’m so happy. To win my first medal at the Paralympics was a dream come true, but to back that up at the World Championships is just fantastic.”
Marcus Perrineau Daley (Jake Foster, Weir Archer Academy) qualified fastest from his heat in the men’s T52 100m but was disqualified from the final for a false start.
