China's Paralympic champion Wen Xiaoyan may have stormed to gold in the women's 100m T37 final at the IndianOil New Delhi 2025 World Para Athletics Championships, but it was her words off the track that truly resonated on Wednesday.
After clocking a season's best of 12.93 seconds, Wen described her performance as "average" by her standards, but she was quick to highlight what she felt was extraordinary - the way India has organised the Championships.
"This is my second event here. Today's result is average, because I was a bit weak on the way. But I think India has shown great sincerity," she said.
The Chinese sprinter went on to single out the competition facilities and overall atmosphere as world-class.
"The race venue provided by the organisation
is the best. So, I would like to thank the local government of India and the volunteers here," she added.
Her words reflect the growing chorus of appreciation from athletes across countries who have praised India for delivering a smooth, athlete-first tournament. Accessibility, volunteer support, and state-of-the-art facilities have made the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium a stage worthy of the world's best para athletes.
Wen, who is scheduled to compete in further individual and team events on September 4 and 5, promised to continue giving her best.
"I will do my best to participate in individual and team events. I hope to win more medals for China," she said with determination.
