Isis Holt highlights world record-setting start for Aussies in London

It has been a successful run at the 2017 World Para Athletics Championships in London for Australia. The Aussies have added three more medals and a fourth world record on day six of the 10-day event to climb to 18 total, including five gold.

Two days after avenging her 2016 Paralympic loss in Rio by winning gold in the women’s T35 200m event over Rio champion Zhou Xia of China, Australian sprinter Isis Holt was back on top of the podium on Wednesday after setting a new world record in the 100m T35 class in an amazing comeback win with a time of 13.43.

“It’s incredible coming here and running like that,” said the recently turned 16-year-old Melbourne schoolgirl. “To come out in front of such a crowd and run that fast is an amazing feeling. 

“Something I’ve worked on since Rio is to stay calm and concentrate on my own race. I’ve been able to do that and it’s made me stronger this year.”

Holt, who won her first world title as a 14-year-old debutant at the 2015 World Championships, immediately sought out her coach to celebrate her record-setting victory.

“I ran straight over to Nick (Wall) at the end because this is all down to him,” explained the three-time Rio medallist. “We definitely didn’t expect to run a world record. To look up and see that on the clock was such an amazing feeling.

“It is such an incredible idea to give coaches medals at these championships,” Holt continued. “It’s an awesome idea because he has done so much for me.

“I’m privileged to be here and to be able to do stuff like this which people my age wouldn’t normally be able to do.”

Two of the three other world records belong to James Turner (NSW) in the T36 200m sprint, while Cameron Crombie (ACT) set one in the F38 shot put.

After breaking the world record in his heat for the 200m T36 on night three of the championships, the 21-year-old Turner set another world record time of 24.09s (-0.4) in finishing nearly a second ahead of silver medallist Kryzsztof Ciuksza of Poland to win his maiden world title.

On day one, it was 31-year-old para worlds rookie Crombie (ACT) who won the first world title of the Championships in the F38 shot put for athletes with neurological impairments, throwing 15.95m — more than one metre than his previous personal best.