Brannigan Defends Title and Breaks Championship Record in Men’s T20 1500m at New Delhi 2025

/in , /by

The second last day of the Indian Oil 2025 World Para Athletics Championships in New Delhi witnessed an electrifying showdown in the Men’s T20 1500m final.

Japan’s rising star Natsuki Toda took an early lead, setting a fast pace from the gun. But it was only a matter of time before Michael Brannigan, the reigning World Champion and Rio 2016 Paralympic gold medallist, made his move. With his trademark surge in the final lap, Brannigan accelerated powerfully to overtake Toda and storm across the finish line — defending his world title in spectacular fashion.

The American clocked 3:50.44, smashing his own Championship Record set in Kobe 2024 (3:51.71), while Toda finished second with a brilliant debut performance, just 2.01 seconds behind.

“I didn’t know that I was going to break the Championship record — I just did it. I really shone on the track, and I am so proud of myself for doing this. I want to thank my coach, Sonia, and the USA Track and Field team for all the support. I couldn’t have done this without them. They believed in me, and it paid off. I’m enjoying this and having fun,” Brannigan told Virtus.

“I let the Japanese lead in the first laps and patiently ran at the back, waiting for the right moment. I keep training hard, practising strategies over and over, keeping that determination. I want to thank God for blessing me.”

For Toda, who was competing in his first World Championships, the silver medal marked a promising beginning to his international career.

“This silver medal means a lot to me because this is my first championship. I think I had a strong debut. I want to practice more and come back stronger”, Toda told Virtus.

In the battle for bronze, Sandro Baessa (POR) narrowly edged out Ndiega Dieng (ITA), finishing in 3:55.00 after a thrilling sprint to the line.

The final day of the Championships will see the Women’s T20 Long Jump, where two-time Paralympic Champion Karolina Kucharczyk (POL) is expected to headline the competition.