New Delhi, Sep 29: Denis Gnezdilov strode the Shot Put circle like a colossus, gunning down the men's F40 World Record twice, in the IndianOil New Delhi 2025 Para World Athletics Championships at the Jawaharlal
Nehru Stadium on Monday (September 29). Each of his five throws after the opening 10.66m effort was good enough to secure him the gold medal.
The Rustavi-born 38-year-old was in a league of his own, with an 11.85m third attempt surpassing Paralympic gold medalist Miguel Monteiro's world record before raising the bar further with an 11.92m effort on his last throw. The Tokyo 2020 Paralympic champion clinched his third World Championship crown, cementing his legacy as one of the greatest in the discipline.
A Star-Studded Final
With two former World Champions in the fray - Miguel Monteiro of Portugal and Garrah Tnaiash of Iraq - along with Germany's Yannis Fischer, the men's F40 final promised high drama. Monteiro led after the opening round with 10.92m, but Gnezdilov's 11.59m second attempt established dominance. He then went on to claim the World Record twice, showing no signs of complacency even after sealing the gold.
India's Dayawanti Breaks Asian Record
For India, Dayawanti provided the brightest moment in the morning session with a 27.94m throw in the women's Discus Throw F64 final. Though it fetched her an Asian Record, she narrowly missed out on bronze by 1.51m, finishing fourth behind the USA's Alicia Guerrero.
In the men's Shot Put F53 final, Ayush Verma finished fifth with 7.23m, while seasoned campaigner Rongali Ravi managed 10.10m in the F40 final, falling short of the podium by 76cm.
Other Records and Highlights
Two more Championship Records were broken during the session. Poland's Bartosz Gorczak rewrote the meet record in the men's Shot Put F53 with 8.67m, while Mexico's Osiris Aneth Machado set a new benchmark in the women's Discus Throw F44 with 44.36m. Poland also celebrated a second gold through Faustyna Kotlowska in the women's Discus Throw F64, helping them climb to the top of the medal table with four golds and four bronzes.
Results (Finals)
| Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men's 400m T36 | James Turner (Australia) - 52.18s | Kirill Glazyrin (NPA) - 52.25s | William Stedman (New Zealand) - 53.05s |
| Men's Shot Put F40 | Denis Gnezdilov (NPA) - 11.92m (WR) | Miguel Monteiro (Portugal) - 11.31m | Garrah Tnaiash (Iraq) - 10.86m |
| Men's Shot Put F53 | Bartosz Gorczak (Poland) - 8.67m (CR) | Viachaeslav Kaleev (NPA) - 8.50m | Ales Kisy (Czechia) - 8.20m |
| Women's Long Jump T12 | Tokutkhon Kholbekova (Uzbekistan) - 5.54m | Iida Lounela (Finland) - 5.28m | Lynda Hamri (Algeria) - 5.16m |
| Women's Discus Throw F44 | Osiris Aneth Machado (Mexico) - 44.36m (CR) | Samantha Heyison (USA) - 40.65m | Yao Juan (China) - 39.23m |
| Women's Discus Throw F64 | Faustyna Kotlowska (Poland) - 38.96m | Jessica Heims (USA) - 33.75m | Alicia Guerrero (USA) - 29.45m |
Medal Table Update
Poland surged to the top of the medal tally with 4 gold and 4 bronze, ahead of Brazil (3 gold, 5 silver, 2 bronze) and China (3 gold, 4 silver, 3 bronze). India is currently placed 13th with 1 gold, 1 silver, and 1 bronze.
