Smith Blitzes To Lifetime Best To Launch Kiwi World Para Bid

Joe Smith ensured New Zealand made a hugely positive start in their quest at the Paris 2023 Para Athletics World Championships by advancing to the final of the men’s 100m T37 with a stunning PB performance.

On a hot summer day in the French capital, the 25-year-old Kiwi, who is making his global championship debut, trimmed 0.07 from his previous best to clock 12.08 (+0.6) and progress to the medal race in the third automatic qualification spot in an electric heat two.

Smith, of the North Harbour Bays club in Auckland, looked relaxed when his name was announced to the crowd at the Stade Charlety, and backed that up by making a blistering start.

For much of the race the Kiwi athlete sat second behind the Brazilian Ricardo Gomes and was only overhauled and relegated to third in the final strides by Pole Michal Kotkowski.

Gomes grabbed an impressive heat win in 11.25 to lower the championship record which had been set in heat one of 11.42 by Saptoyoga Purnomo of Indonesia. Kotkowski finished just 0.01 in front of Smith.

The Kiwi bettered his long-standing PB of 12.15, which was set at the Night of 5s meet in Auckland in 2020, and he will enter the final – which takes place at 4.50am on Tuesday – full of confidence.

“The main objective was to punch my ticket to the final,” said Smith, who is coached by Hamish Meacheam. “I was comfortable with the boys in the call tent, I didn’t feel that much pressure and I knew what I needed to do.

“I made a really good start. It was a great performance, a PB, so I can’t do much better than that. My hopes for tomorrow are to try and stick to the race plan, be more patient in the drive phase and cling on for dear life at the end.”

Smith qualified sixth fastest for the final and inches closer to the national men’s 100m T37 record of 11.97 set by Matt Slade in 2005.

The next Kiwi in action at the Paris’23 Para Athletics World Championships is Will Stedman, the Rio and Tokyo Paralympic men’s 400m T36 bronze medallist. Will competes in heat two of the men’s 400m T36 at 8.10pm today (Monday).

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