Kobe, Japan: China impressed the Universiade Memorial Stadium in Kobe with a clean sweep of all three medals in the men’s 400m T54 final at the Para Athletics World Championships on Monday.
Hu Yang, the 27-year-old defending world champion, won the gold by crossing the finish line in 44.98 seconds.
The wheelchair racer also set a new championship record for the T54-class event, which is known for its high speeds, reaching over 30 km/h.
His teammate Dai Yunqiang secured the silver with his season’s best of 45.78 seconds, while Zhang Ying took the bronze with a personal best of 46.28 seconds.
“We did great this time as we adjusted ourselves pretty well, and from now on we will spare no effort in preparation for Paris 2024,” Hu told Xinhua, adding that he looks forward to breaking the record in the upcoming Paralympic Games.
Hu’s victory brought China’s gold medal tally to 11 on Day 4 of the nine-day event. The Kobe 2024 Para Athletics World Championships, held in East Asia for the first time, serve as a crucial qualifier for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. The championships have attracted over 1,000 athletes from 100 countries and regions competing in 168 events.
A total of 73 Chinese para-athletes are competing in the championships, which run until May 25. Originally scheduled for 2021, the event was postponed twice due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
