Sabrina Fortune Takes Her Fourth World Title With A Record From New Delhi 2025

The third day of the IndianOil 2025 World Para Athletics Championships in New Delhi turned into another unforgettable showcase for athletes with intellectual impairment. Despite the scorching heat, competitors brought their very best, delivering record-breaking performances and emotional milestones.

Sabrina Fortune Smashes World Record in F20 Women’s Shot Put

Britain’s 28-year-old Sabrina Fortune continued her reign of dominance, successfully defending her World Championship crown to win her fourth global title. Having already triumphed in Dubai 2019, Paris 2023, and Kobe 2023, the “golden girl” of shot put went even further this time — literally. Fortune hurled the shot an astonishing 16.75m, a full meter beyond her previous World Record.

Clearly elated, she confessed her surprise to Virtus,

“It was crazy. I wasn’t expecting that at all. We were told to just go and do a simple throw and that simple throw turned out to be a bit further than what I was expecting. I can’t point a word to how happy and proud I am to get that. I wanted to get 16m, but to go beyond it was just mental.”

Breaking the record on her very first attempt only added to the drama,

“I was very surprised to break the World Record in the first throw. I was like, it’s ok, it’s…but then when I watched it go, I was like ‘what was that?’ I was just over the moon. I was expecting to break it maybe in the last throw, but not the first throw. It seems like I am just getting a rhythm of getting it in the first throw after Paris 2023.”

Even though adrenaline made it hard to maintain consistency, she achieved exactly what she came for,

“I wanted to break it again, but there is just so much adrenaline that you end up falling off a bit. Whereas I just wanted to keep going, but as long as it stayed closer to 16m, I was happy. I did what I came here to do, so I was just really, really happy to get that.”

Teenage Breakthrough: Keskin Wins Turkey’s First Medal in T20 Field Events

Turkey’s 18-year-old Ebrar Keskin also made history, capturing her nation’s first-ever T20 field event medal at the World Para Athletics Championships. She sealed silver with her very first attempt, a throw of 13.80m, announcing herself as a rising star.

Brimming with pride, she said:

“I am very happy and proud of myself. We (Turkey) got a medal for the first time in the T20 field events at World Para Athletics. This is a great achievement, so I am very happy. More to come in LA 2028 with the World Record hopefully.”

The teenager admitted she came prepared and expected a medal, though not silver:

“I came prepared, so I was expecting a medal. I was expecting a bronze medal, but to get silver, I want to thank God for this. I want to dedicate this medal to my mom.”

Her sights are now firmly set on Los Angeles:

“My ultimate goal is to set a world record at LA2028.”

Aleksandra Zaitseva (NPA) completed the podium with bronze, recording 13.74m.

Pineda Mejia Breaks Championship Record in T20 Men’s 400m

The morning heats of the T20 Men’s 400m produced yet another record-breaking story. Pineda Mejia stormed to first place in his heat, blissfully unaware that he had just smashed the Championship record. The Paris 2024 silver medalist seems like heading towards another victory at New Delhi 2025.

When Virtus reporter Mousumi Mazumdar broke the news to him, his joy was uncontainable:

“I actually felt pretty good, but I didn’t know that I had broken a record. I had a pretty easy, comfortable and fast race. I knew at the end I was going to go quite fast, which I liked. It meant it was going well. In the final part, I accelerated a little and went faster. I still have room for improvement, but I am happy.”

Joining Mejia in the finals are Idris Sufyani (KSA), Alfin Nomleni (INA), Daniel Martins (BRA), Rodriguez Ramirez (ESP), Charles-Antonio Kouakou (FRA), Md. Nor Azmi (MAS), and Daniel Antonio (POR). The showdown is set for September 30, where one last race will decide who stands atop the podium.

Full results can be accessed from here.