Zileide Cassiano Shines in Women’s T20 Long Jump Finale, Defeats Paralympic Champion Karolina Kucharczyk to Claim Gold

The final day of the Indian Oil 2025 World Para Athletics Championships in New Delhi delivered a dramatic finish, as the Women’s T20 Long Jump event brought the stadium to its feet with a thrilling display of athletic excellence, emotion, and resilience.

The lineup featured some of the world’s most accomplished athletes — two-time Paralympic Champion Karolina Kucharczyk (POL), Paris 2024 silver medalist and Kobe 2024 World Champion Zileide Cassiano da Silva (BRA), and Paris 2024 bronze medalist Fatma Damla (TUR) — among others, all ready to battle for the final gold medal of the championship.

From the opening round, Brazil’s Zileide Cassiano set the tone with a stunning 5.88m jump, immediately taking the lead. Kucharczyk followed closely with 5.49m, while Turkey’s Fatma Damla surged in her third attempt with 5.68m, pushing the Polish champion down to third.

The final ranking was just a medal swapping of the Paris 2024 Paralympics podium finish.

Despite a determined effort from her rivals, Cassiano held her ground to secure gold and successfully defend her Kobe 2024 World Title — an emotional and hard-fought victory for the Brazilian, who revealed she had been battling injury in the weeks leading up to the event.

“I feel fulfilled, because I struggled a lot to be here. I’ve been training for only four weeks and I injured my knee. Regardless of the podium position, I already felt like a winner — this gold medal just made it perfect,” Cassiano said after her win.

The Brazilian champion described her triumph in one powerful word — “overcoming.”

“I spent three months without being able to jump. To come here, compete, and win — it’s about overcoming. I dedicate this medal first to God, then to my family, my coach, Guilherme, my psychologist, and everyone who supported me at the Paralympic Committee of Brazil.”

Reflecting on defeating two-time Paralympic champion Karolina Kucharczyk, Cassiano spoke with deep respect:

“For me, Karolina is an example. She opened doors for us. She’s overcome so much — being a mother, returning to compete at this level — she inspires me. I’m just happy to be here among athletes like her.”

Cassiano plans to celebrate back home in Brazil:

“We’re flying home tonight — I’ll celebrate with my family. I can’t wait to see them.”

Turkey’s Fatma Damla claimed silver with 5.72m, marking her best-ever finish at a World Championships.

Reflecting on her event, Fatma said,

“I’m so happy that I got the silver medal. I was a bombshell at the event. It was perfect. I practised very hard, and so I was expecting to defeat Karolina. My next target is to win the gold in Los Angeles won!,” Fatma told Virtus. 

“I’m going to eat something sweet and celebrate my silver medal. I’ve lost weight, so it’s ok.”

Meanwhile, Poland’s Karolina Kucharczyk, battling through an ankle injury, secured bronze with 5.49m — a testament to her resilience and experience.

“I am happy. The atmosphere was wonderful — a little hot, but it didn’t affect my performance. This bronze is like a gold medal for me because I had an ankle injury and couldn’t train for two months,” Kucharczyk told Virtus.

The Paralympic legend also shared a glimpse into her life beyond the track:

“Honestly, sport is like an escape from the babies!” she laughed.

“I love my children — my son Casper loves football and sometimes tries running too. He says he hates that I’m away, but he loves that I have two Paralympic golds!”

Kucharczyk will soon head to Brisbane for the Virtus World Championships, where she aims to return to the top of the podium:

“No celebrations yet — maybe after I win gold in Brisbane,” she said with a smile.

The Women’s T20 Long Jump marked a fitting finale to a championship that showcased not only world-class athletic performance but also the spirit of perseverance, respect, and inspiration that defines para sport.

As many athletes will head to Brisbane for the 2025 Virtus World Athletics Championships, Virtus wishes them all the best.