British wheelchair racer takes T53 women’s 100m title on Friday in Paris

Sammi Kinghorn set a championship record of 15.93 to win gold in the T53 100m at the World Para Athletics Championships in Paris on Friday.

It means she becomes the sixth British athlete to strike gold at the event in the French capital following the victories of Jonathan Broom-Edwards, Gavin Drysdale, Holly Arnold, Sabrina Fortune and Hannah Cockroft earlier in the week.

Kinghorn won 800m silver a few days earlier but improved to gold over the shorter distance to regain a title that she first won in 2017. Catherine Debrunner of Switzerland was second in 16.06 with Gao Fang of China third in 16.23

She said: “I wanted to become world champion, and to do it today is an incredible feeling.

“I was really chilled going into it, but I honestly didn’t think I had it in me. I knew I had to focus on my own race. All I could control was myself, so my coach left me with the simple words of ‘fast, fast, fast!’. Even when I crossed the line I didn’t know if I had won it, so I was just waiting for my name to come up. When it did, it was such an incredible feeling.”

??Samantha Kinghorn takes gold in the 100m T53 with a new championship record of 15.93!

?Catherine Debrunner ??
?Fang Gao ??#PARIS23 @BritAthletics @Paralympics @ParaSport pic.twitter.com/KUhwmqiAww

— #ParaAthletics #PARIS23 (@ParaAthletics) July 14, 2023

She added: “I knew I was in good shape and I’ve been dragged around to fast times in training. I’ve been training with Hannah [Cockroft] and Nathan [Maguire] so they have been pushing me hard. I knew I had been in good company and pushing really well, but I didn’t know I could become world champion.

“It was such a close race. Catherine doesn’t want to run away with it, she wants to be pushed. It makes it so much more exciting. To push her all the way and beat her to the line is an amazing feeling.”

READ MORE: Hannah Cockroft races to gold

Kinghorn’s win came on a night when GB team-mate Sophie Hahn took bronze in the T38 women’s 200m. In a high-quality race Luka Ekler beat Hahn’s world record with 25.78.

“It did feel a long way but before I came I had three targets which are written on my wrist – commit, whip [off the bend] and stand tall, and I feel like I achieved all of those so I’m happy,” said Hahn.

“It’s a long way, I’m not going to lie, but I quite liked lane one because it’s almost like you have people on the outside, so it’s a good lane – it gives you that extra kick. I am so glad I made the podium.

READ MORE: Broom-Edwards soars to victory

“The 200m isn’t my best event so I am very happy to come away with a season’s best and a bronze medal. It’s incredible – Luca Ekler and (bronze medallist) Darian Jimenez – they’re all fantastic athletes and it’s a great rivalry. I have a lot of respect for them.”

GB medal haul

Gold: Gavin Drysdale [Men’s T72 100m], Jonathan Broom-Edwards [Men’s T64 high jump], Sabrina Fortune [Women’s F20 shot put], Hollie Arnold [Women’s F46 javelin], Hannah Cockroft [Women’s T34 100m], Sammi Kinghorn [Women’s T53 100m]

Silver: Rafi Solaiman [Men’s T72 100m], Sammi Kinghorn [Women’s T53 800m], Kare Adenegan [Women’s T34 100m], Olivia Breen [Women’s T38 long jump]

Bronze: Zac Shaw [Men’s T12 100m], Danny Sidbury [Men’s T54 5000m], Maria Lyle [Women’s T35 200m], Sophie Hahn [Women’s T38 100m, Women’s T38 200m], Fabienne André [Women’s T34 100m]