Ayush Verma and Rongali Ravi missed podiums in men’s Shot Put F5 and F40 finals by 97cm and 76cm
New Delhi
India’s Dayawanti created an Asian record in the women’s Discus Throw F64 final at the Para World Athletics Championships on Monday. Her last attempt of 27.94m earned her fourth place, just 1.51m behind bronze medallist Alicia Guerrero of the United States. Though missing a medal, her performance marked a significant achievement.
In the men’s Shot Put F5 final, Ayush Verma placed fifth with a 7.23m throw, falling short of the bronze mark by 97cm. Veteran thrower Rongali Ravi also missed the podium in the men’s Shot Put F40 final. His season-best of 10.10m was 76cm shy of a medal finish.
The highlight of the day came from Denis Gnezdilov of Russia, who dominated the men’s F40 Shot Put final. The 38-year-old broke the world record twice, first with 11.85m and then with 11.92m on his last attempt. Already a Paralympic gold medalist, Gnezdilov secured his third World Championship crown, stamping his authority as one of the sport’s greatest. Portugal’s Miguel Monteiro and Iraq’s Garrah Tnaiash, both former record holders, were strong contenders, but Gnezdilov’s power and consistency proved unmatched.
Elsewhere, Poland’s Bartosz Gorczak set a new meet record in the men’s Shot Put F53 final with 8.67m. Mexico’s Osiris Aneth Machado clinched gold in the women’s Discus Throw F44 final with a championship record of 44.36m. Faustyna Kotlowska added another gold for Poland in the women’s Discus Throw F64 final.
With two golds on Monday, Poland climbed to the top of the medal table with four gold and four bronze medals. India currently stands 13th with one gold, one silver, and one bronze.
