At the World Para Athletics Championships, Hannah Cockroft won gold in the 100 meters for the seventh consecutive year.
The T34 wheelchair racer from Britain won with a performance record of 16.89 seconds, and her teammate Fabienne Andre placed fourth in Kobe, Japan, with a time record of 19.42. Mel Woods, a fellow Brit, finished fourth in the T54 1500m women’s final.
Overall, the athlete has won 15 World Championship medals in her overall career.
Cockroft and the 800m gold
Now, Cockroft is preparing to win 800m gold for the fifth time in a row at the Worlds.
With her victory, the athlete said: “Number seven – that sounds amazing… Every title at this point is a relief. I watch my team-mates and see the excitement and the happiness, and I want to respond like that but when I cross that line it is a sigh of relief because I am the one with the target on my back.”
She added: “The 100m is the hard one, so I am delighted to win the title, and I am looking forward to the 800m and relay now.”
As the Paralympic Games in Paris get closer, the World Para Athletics Championships are being held in preparation of the opening ceremony on August 28.
Once an underdog at the Olympics three years before, Keely Hodgkinson is now one among the favorites to win the gold medal in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The athlete declared: “It’s quite a privileged position to be in… It’s exciting but a little bit daunting, and a very different position to what I was in last time.”
In her first major outdoor event, she broke Kelly Holmes’ 26-year British record to win the 800m silver. This is where her career took a turn.
Three incredible years have passed for the current European champion. When she earned her second consecutive world silver in Budapest, she expressed her regret, which is a clear indication that she is aiming for a higher achievement in the Olympics.
Hodgkinson – no pressure
“I’m still young but there was no pressure then, whereas now I feel like I have a little bit to live up to…Being chased rather than being the one chasing is a harder position to be in but I enjoy the pressure, to be honest,” she admitted.
Hodgkinson will once more face competitors Athing Mu and Mary Moraa in the upcoming summer Games as they hunt for a gold medal.
In the Prefontaine Classic, which also serves as the Eugene Diamond League, Hodgkinson hopes to make a significant impression before the 2024 Olympics when the “big three” of the women’s 800m meet head-to-head.
“Unfortunately, I’ve been second every time. But we’re going to try and change that…I think it’s a good rivalry. It’s quite exciting for us all because we’re all so young, we’re all really talented, we work hard and we all really want it,” the athlete said.
She added: “We don’t race each other that often so, when we do, it’s a big occasion.”
Former world number five KJ Choi, who took victory on the second playoff hole at the SK Telecom Open, on his 54th birthday, created history as the oldest golfer to win an event on the Korean PGA Tour (KPGA).
With this victory, Choi extends his remarkable record of eight PGA circuit victories from 2002 to 2011—this is his first home circuit victory in 12 years. After achieving this incredible feat, Choi is scheduled to resume his career in Texas on Monday by participating in the U.S. senior tour.
Choi had a commanding five-shot lead going into the final round at Pinx Golf Club, but that lead dwindled as the game progressed. A bogey on the final hole forced Park Sang-hyun into a playoff.
The 2011 Players’ Championship winner thought his prospects of winning his 17th KPGA championship and fourth SK Telecom Open vanished when his ball found the greenside water on the opening playoff hole.
“Seeing the gallery’s response gave me hope that the ball might still be alive even though I had assumed my second shot had gone into the ocean.” Choi said to thestar.com.
KJ Choi – Record holder
Choi produced an incredible demonstration of skill and willpower when he punched the ball off the rough rocks of the rocky island and skillfully maneuvered it onto the green with a wedge shot. As the tension increased and the outcome was in doubt, Choi’s calculated action not only saved Par but also demonstrated his steadfast resolve.
This crucial play turned out to be the game-changing moment, as Choi equaled his outstanding performance on the second playoff hole to win the highly sought-after championship. Choi’s victory was sealed in a dramatic climax when Park, his opponent, was unable to match Choi’s skill and found himself grappling with a bogie.
Notice the changes Choi has made to his lifestyle, middle-aged golfers. He is adamant about these adjustments since they have improved both his game and wellbeing. With dietary modifications and customized workouts, Choi’s method provides a road map for improved function and general well-being. It’s time to set yourself up for success, both on and off the golf course, so take his lead and reinvent yourself.
At the World Para Athletics Championships in Kobe, Japan, Daniel Pembroke of Britain held onto his F13 javelin championship title. When he threw 66.96 meters in the last round, the 32-year-old was already assured of attaining a gold medal. He gave out a scream of joy as the javelin flew beyond his previous best of 64.79 meters from the third round.
Later this year in the 2024 Paris Olympics, Pembroke intends to defend his Paralympic crown.
With his victory, the athlete shared his journey after being away for some time from the sports limelight.
Pembroke – Long winter
“When you’ve had a long winter of training, you aren’t sure what you are capable of in your first competition, never mind when it is a world final…So, the pressure can get to you, but I felt like I relaxed into it towards the last attempt, so it just proves what is to come,” Pembroke admitted.
He added: “A lot of my throws were going up and up about a meter each time, so by the time Paris comes around and I’ve got a few more competitions under my belt, we’ll be breaching that 70-meter mark again.”
An elbow injury ended Pembroke’s goals of qualifying for the Olympics in London back in 2012.
He was already managing the degenerative eye disease retinitis pigmentosa, which results in progressive blindness. In 2019, he returned to the sport after taking a break to travel. He was then categorized as a Para athlete, and started a new sporting career.
Dafne Schippers announced her retirement from track and field at the age of 31.
On September 26, Schippers announced her retirement on Instagram with a heartwarming video, captioned with a message that says:
“The race stops here. As an athlete, you always know this day will come, that at one point, your career will be a moment in time—-a collection of memories and hopefully medals.
Today, I have decided to take my life off track to pursue and embrace whatever comes next, but not without saying a massive thank you for all the endless support. It has been a journey without regret.
My family, my team, my fans, and my sponsor, you made it all worthwhile.
X Dafne”
Schippers’ notable accolades over the years
The two-time Dutch champion Schippers departed the sport with a slew of awards under her belt.
Schippers’ original sport was the heptathlon, and in her years of competing in this discipline, she was met with a number of losses and successes, her most notable achievements being the gold medals that she won at the 2010 World Junior Championships and 2011 European Junior Championships. At the young age of 21, Schippers also went on to compete at the 2013 World Championships in Moscow, where she also claimed bronze, cementing her place as the first Dutch woman to ever claim a medal in the heptathlon at the World Athletics Championships.
Besides heptathlon, Schippers also competed in other disciplines in track and field like long jump, 4×100 m relay, 60 m, 100 m and 200 m. In 2014, Schippers etched her name into history by winning the 100-meter and 200-meter events at the European Athletics Championships in Zurich.
In an illustrious career, she emulated Fanny Blankers-Koen, becoming the second Dutchwoman ever to claim victory in the 100-meter race. This monumental accomplishment led to a pivotal decision as she transitioned from heptathlon to focus on sprinting.
Merely a year after this career-defining shift, Schippers secured her second gold medal in the 200m event at the 2015 World Championships in Beijing, outpacing Jamaica’s Elaine Thompson-Herah.
The subsequent year witnessed Schippers capturing her second gold in the 100 m race at the 2016 European Athletics Championships in Amsterdam, along with her maiden gold in the 4x100m relay. In the following year, she clinched her second 200m gold at the IAAF World Championships in London, achieving victory with a remarkable time of 22.05 seconds, narrowly surpassing Marie-Josée Ta Lou and Shaunae Miller-Uibo.
However, her years of success were hindered when she started to have injuries that hampered her performances. In 2019, she sustained an adductor injury during the semifinals, which forced her removal from the 200 m and 100 m final events at the 2019 World Championships in Doha. Her back injuries also restricted her from competing on the track, forcing her to take a break for more than a year.
Schippers was last seen competing at the 100 m event in the Guldensporenmeeting Kortrijk 2022, where she placed second in the heat of the event, clocking an 11.37 second time and placing second behind Jamaica’s Shashalee Forbes.
“My medals were scattered across my parents’ house and my own. In my athlete days, it was all about chasing the next medal. But now that I’ve chosen to retire, these medals carry a deeper meaning with intense memories. I counted 17 international senior medals, youth medals, honorable trophies and 22 national medals. Each medal has a story, and all the stories added up have found a new home. They finally deserve a trophy cabinet 😊✨”
Keely Hodgkinson, the Olympic 800-metre gold medallist, was voted the BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2024.
In the recent season, the 22-year-old athlete finished her quest for a world championship by winning gold at the Paris Olympics. Three years earlier, she came second in her Olympic debut in Tokyo. She also won back-to-back silvers at the World Championships.
Moreover, Hodgkinson set a new British record of one minute 54.61 seconds at the London Diamond League, which made her the sixth-fastest woman in sporting history. She also maintained her European 800m title in Rome.
Named the BBC Sports Personality of the Year, the athlete declared: “I am in a bit of shock… I am more excited for my coach as I wouldn’t be here without his guidance.”
She added: “This year has been incredible and I achieved everything I set out to do on the outdoor track. I hope you loved watching Paris.”
Following Emma Raducanu (2021), Beth Mead (2022), and Mary Earps (2023), Hodgkinson is the fourth consecutive female recipient of this award.
In a social media post, Hodgkinson said: “What a great way to end the year. Thank you to everyone who voted!!”
