Australia reaps rewards in New Delhi to kick-start 2028 Paralympic cycle

Australia has exploded out of the blocks to kick-start the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic cycle, with a rising crop of Para-athletes serving up a 2025 World Para Athletics Championships overflowing with pride and potential across nine days in New Delhi, India.

Finishing the competition with 13 medals, the 11^th most of any country headlined by world titles to Paralympic stars Vanessa Low (Long Jump T63) and James Turner (400m T36), the championships were a changing of the guard ahead of Los Angeles 2028 and Brisbane 2032 – the nation blooding 24 debutants as a significant initial step in AA’s Para strategy supported through the Australian Sports Commission’s Para uplift.

Occupying just under half of the team size of 49 athletes, the first timers rose to the occasion with the guidance of their senior counterparts, with 58% of debutants delivering a personal best and 67% producing a season’s best on the world stage.

Of the 10 Australian records that fell in New Delhi, nine came at the hands of debutants including the likes of vision-impaired sprinter Nathan Jason (100m T12) and 14-year-old arm amputee Lexie Brown (200m T47), amongst a host of names who are only getting better.

“It was clear from the team size and number of debutants that this campaign was about investing in the future, and to see their immediate progress in New Delhi is not only reassuring but very exciting,” said Australian Athletics General Manager – High Performance, Andrew Faichney.

“The team is led by a handful world-class performers who did exactly that at these championships, none more so than Vanessa Low and James Turner amongst Australia’s 13 medallists, who demonstrated first-hand the level required to be a global champion.

“To give so many new athletes exposure to that level and environment is something that we are really proud of, and an initiative that lays the foundations for success in Los Angeles 2028, Brisbane 2032 and beyond.”

With an average age of 24-years-old, the team lit up the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium with 24 personal bests and 35 season’s bests across the nine days of competition, with wheelchair racer New South Wales Institute of Sport (NSWIS) scholarship holder Rheed McCracken (100m, 400m T34) and fellow NSWIS athlete, sprinter Mali Lovell (100m, 200m T36) the nation’s dual-medallists with two silvers apiece.

With 12 teenagers on the team including Kirra Wright (Shot Put F36) who lit the flame on Australia’s campaign with silver on the opening day of competition, the 2025 World Para Athletics Championships will be remembered as the birth of the next generation of household names in Australian Para-athletics.

A fitting finale to the action was Australia’s bronze in the Universal 4x100m Relay which showcased not only the diversity within the Para-athletics cohort, but so too an emerging group who are willing to uphold the values of teamwork and camaraderie to achieve the ultimate.

With friendships made and foundations laid, thank you New Delhi.

Medals

Gold (2):

Vanessa Low (ACT, Scott Reardon) – Long Jump T63, James Turner (ACT, Iryna Dvoskina) – 400m T36

Silver (6):

Rheed McCracken (NSW, Louise Sauvage) – 100m and 400m T34, Mali Lovell (NSW, Katie Edwards) – 100m and 200m T36, Chad Perris (ACT, Matt Beckenham) – 100m T13, Kirra Wright (VIC, Craig Chapman and Jo Kampf) – Shot Put F36

Bronze (5):

Angus Hincksman (SA, Philo Saunders) – 1500m T38, Jaryd Clifford (VIC, Philo Saunders) – 1500m T13, Annabelle Colman (VIC, Anthony de Castella and Liz Gosper) – 1500m T20, Dayna Crees (VIC, Gordon Talbot) – Javelin Throw F34, Australia (AUS) – Universal 4x100m Relay

Australian Records (10):

Nathan Jason (QLD, Vincent Jason) – 100m T12 – 11.06 (+0.2)

Nathan Jason (QLD, Vincent Jason) – 100m T12 – 11.04 (+1.0)

Samuel Allen (QLD, Stacey Taurima) – 100m T37 – 11.80 (+1.3)  

Samuel Allen (QLD, Stacey Taurima) – 200m T37 – 23.72 (-0.4)

Michael Shippley (QLD, Paul Pearce) – 100m T44 – 12.68 (-0.1)

Lexie Brown (NSW, Zenon Kowalczyk) – 200m T47 – 26.87 (-0.1)

Jackson Love (NSW, Andrew Iselin) – 200m T35 – 24.73 (-0.9)

Jackson Love (NSW, Andrew Iselin) – 200m T35 – 24.71 (-0.1)

Dayna Crees (VIC, Gordon Talbot) – Javelin Throw F34 – 18.97m

AUSTRALIA (Nathan Jason, Lexie Brown, Akeesha Snowden, Luke Bailey) – Universal 4x100m Relay – 48.96