Switzerland\u2019s Catherine Debrunner won her third gold medal at the New Delhi 2025 World Para Athletics Championships as she clinched the women\u2019s 1500m T54 title in a new championship record.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 30-year-old world record-holder, who had won the 800m T53 and 5000m T54, made it a New Delhi hat-trick as she led the final from start to finish. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Crossing the line in 3:16.81, Debrunner beat defending world champion Zhou Zhaoqian in second place by six tenths of a second as Great Britain\u2019s Melanie Woods won bronze.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe Chinese seemed to be trying to box me in,\u201d Debrunner said, referring to Zhou and teammate Tian Yajuan in fourth place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThey talked a lot with each other, but it was a lot of fun.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was the ninth world title for Debrunner, from the village of Mettendorf, near Switzerland\u2019s northern border with Germany.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After claiming her first Paralympic title at Tokyo 2020, Debrunner became a full-time Para athlete, winning five gold medals and a silver at Paris 2024. The medal haul has continued into these World Championships, where she will look for more glory in Thursday’s 100m and Friday\u2019s 400m T53. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 100m is the only distance where Debrunner misses a gold medal, having claimed silvers in the event at the Paris 2023 World Championships as well at last year\u2019s Paralympic Games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI’m still missing the world title in the 100m. Maybe I can win it tomorrow,\u201d Debrunner said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Italy\u2019s Ambra Sabatini won the women\u2019s 100m T63 gold medal, making up for an unfortunate fate that cost her a medal at Paris 2024. In the final last year, Sabatini was heading towards a second Paralympic gold medal when she stumbled and collided with her teammate Monica Contrafatto, just before the finish line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On Wednesday, the T63 world record-holder produced an impressive comeback as she finished in 14.39, beating Indonesia\u2019s world champion Karisma Evi Tiarani in second place by 0.26 of a second. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ndidikama Okoh of Great Britain took the bronze, one hundredth of a second from the silver medal time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m very happy, I needed this race to go well because I need my confidence back,\u201d said Sabatini, who had won the event at the 2023 World Championships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Having started her New Delhi campaign with a disappointing no mark result in the women\u2019s long jump T63 on Tuesday, the 23-year-old said she could leave India with confidence as she shifts focus towards the next Paralympic Games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNow I can say I\u2019ve come back and we\u2019re in the start of a process to Los Angeles 2028.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n