Grimaldi Posts Season’s Best Enroute To 100m T47 Final

Anna Grimaldi climaxed the Kiwi challenge on day two of the 2024 Para Athletics World Championships in Kobe, Japan by posting a slick season’s best time of 12.69 (+0.8) to place second in heat one of the women’s 100m T47 and ease into the final.

The 27-year-old Dunedin-based athlete, who claimed a bronze medal in this event at the 2023 edition of the Para Athletics World Championships in Paris, is very much in the mix to claim precious metal once again in the medal race on Sunday.

Sae Tsuji the home athlete made a blistering start out of the blocks and held an advantage for the first half of the race from the pursuing Grimaldi and Serbian Saska Sokolov.

However, as Tsuji started to fade it was Sokolov who accelerated clear of the field to take the heat win in a season’s best of 12.54. Grimaldi, the double Paralympic long jump T47 champion, maintained her form impressively to the finish to take second - 0.15 further back with the fast-finishing Jule Ross of Germany setting a PB of 12.78 to take the third automatic qualification berth.

Tsuji placed fourth but advanced on time to the final in 12.83.

Defending world champion Kiara Rodriguez of Ecuador claimed victory in heat two, clocking 12.56 (-0.3) to take victory from Maria Clara Augusto De Silva of Brazil in 12.79.

Grimaldi advanced to the final the third fastest and will line up in the final on Sunday at 9.56pm.

Will Stedman - the other Kiwi in action on day three of the Para Athletics World Championships on Sunday – is pursuing a medal in the final of the men’s 400m T36 at 2pm (NZT).

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