New Delhi, October 3(HS): Brazil’s Antonia Kayla da Silva Barros delivered a historic performance at the 2025 World Para Athletics Championships on Thursday, storming to gold in the women’s 1500m T20 with a new world record. She clocked 4 minutes 19.22 seconds to outpace Poland’s six-time world champion Barbara Bieganowska-Zajac in a stunning upset.

Barros’ triumph was particularly remarkable as she surged ahead before the final lap and never looked back. Once the guide runner for compatriot Edneusa de Jesus Santos Dorta at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, Barros has now carved her own chapter in the sport with this career-defining moment.

Adding to Brazil’s dominance, Vânia Brito Oliveira secured gold in the women’s shot put F32, also with a world record throw. With these victories, Brazil tightened its grip on the medal tally, amassing 12 gold, 16 silver, and 7 bronze medals. China, placed second (8-10-9), faces an uphill task in the remaining three days.

On an individual high note, Swiss star Catherine Debrunner captured her fourth gold medal of the tournament, setting a championship record in the women’s 100m T53. From the shortest sprint to the grueling 5000m, Debrunner has established complete supremacy on the track.

India, however, endured mixed fortunes. Paris 2024 Paralympic champion Dharambir Nain, 36, and Atul Kaushik, 29, added silver and bronze respectively to India’s tally, but the absence of a gold for a second consecutive day pushed the hosts down from fourth to seventh in the standings.

India now has 4 gold, 5 silver, and 2 bronze medals.Nain briefly raised hopes with a superb final throw of 29.71m, but Serbia’s Aleksandar Radisic produced 30.36m to take gold.

Another Indian contender, Paralympic silver medallist Pranav Soorma, finished fifth in a nine-athlete field. Kaushik’s bronze came after a dramatic finish: Uzbekistan’s Yorqinbek Odilov’s final throw landed outside the sector line, confirming a podium for the Indian thrower, who had managed 45.05m earlier.

Two other Indians slipped agonisingly close to medals. Honey placed fourth in the men’s discus throw F37, while 22-year-old Dileep Mahadu Gavit clocked 48.61 seconds in the 400m but faded in the last 100m, missing out on the podium.

Elsewhere, Colombia’s Karen T. Palomeque M clinched gold in the women’s 200m T38, lifting her nation to sixth in the table. Italy and Switzerland also celebrated their fifth gold medals of the championships.

Heavy rain disrupted Thursday’s programme, forcing the postponement of the men’s long jump T64 and shot put F46 finals. However, officials managed to resume and complete the discus throw T57 and club throw F51 competitions despite weather delays.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar