Great Britain’s wheelchair racing phenomenon, Hannah Cockroft, has secured her second gold medal and the staggering 18th world title of her career at the World Para Athletics Championships in New Delhi. Dominating the women’s T34 100m, Cockroft proved she’s still untouchable, even if she thinks she could be quicker.
Eight in a Row and a Quest for Speed
The nine time Paralympic champion sped to victory in a time of 17.28 seconds in India, marking her eighth consecutive title in this event.
Despite the gold, Cockroft, 33, remains focused on even greater heights:
“It’s nice to come out and get titles, but I’d like to be going a bit quicker if I’m honest,” she admitted. “I want those world records and I’ve not hit them in a couple of years.”
The win follows her championship record setting performance and gold medal in the T34 400m on Sunday. Her British teammate, Kare Adenegan, added another silver to her tally, finishing second in the 100m with a season’s best time of 18.08.
Golden Debut and a Tesco Shift
Wednesday brought more hardware for the GB team, highlighted by a stunning debut from Victoria Levitt.
- Shock Gold: Levitt, 29, won the women’s T44 100m gold in her first international appearance, clocking a brilliant 13.22 seconds. She was joined on the podium by teammate Bebe Jackson, who claimed the bronze medal in 13.63.Levitt was understandably shell shocked: “It was a complete shock to be honest… When I crossed the line and I didn’t see anyone else I was like, ‘oh, does this mean I’m first?’, then the shock hit my face.”
- Day Job: Proving that top athletes don’t always have it easy, Levitt famously works two jobs to fund her athletic career and will return to her role at a Tesco store in Mansfield during the run up to Christmas.
🥉 Medals for Scotland and More Bronze
The medal haul continued with Scottish racer Melanie Woods claiming her second bronze of the championships in the women’s T54 1500m (3:19.75). The 31 year old had already won bronze in the T54 800m on Monday, marking her first medals at a global games.
Woods showed great spirit lining up against a field of world record holders, including gold winner Catherine Debrunner of Switzerland. She said she was “hyping herself up” and couldn’t be happier, calling the second medal a “bonus.”
Finally, Ndidikama Okoh rounded off a strong day for Britain, winning bronze in the women’s 100m T63 final with a time of 14.66, sealing the team’s 13th medal of the championships.
Related Topic: Athletics British Athletics
