Throwers Greg Stewart and Julia Hanes win gold and bronze at Para athletics world championships

NEW DELHI, India (Athletics Canada) – It took an extra day, but Greg Stewart is golden again – this time at the World Para Athletics Championships.

Already a two-time Paralympic champion in the men’s F46 shot put event, Stewart launched his third shot a season’s best 16.68 metres to win his first Worlds gold.

“To come and compete at this level after the postponement was a big one for me, to show that you’re as good as you want to be, if you want to be it. I’ve finished second at two World Championships now. This is my first one in gold. I’ve been wanting this one for a long time,” Stewart said.

After rain washed out several events yesterday and pushed them onto the Friday schedule, Stewart had to reset to throw for gold.

“I was kind of upset about the whole thing, because you get so psyched up. We’re training all year for last night, and then it’s ripped out from underneath us and we can’t do anything about it. Then we have to try to regroup and everything like that,” Stewart said. “One of the things that Team Canada’s focus has been over the last year is resiliency, and I think it showed today.”

Hanes Wins Bronze

Julia Hanes earned her first ever World Para Athletics Championships medal Friday, launching a massive throw of 7.51 metres in the women’s F33 shot put final to claim the bronze medal.

“One of the things that I take pride in is being able to be calm in a storm and settle and do what I need to be doing. After having to adjust my chair because of some protests, I was actually able to just settle and immediately after that come in and just throw big,” Hanes said. “I’m very excited that 7.51 cm was enough today and I’m happy that I was able to settle down and do what I know I’m capable of doing and throw within three centimeters of my personal best.”

The two shot put medals today, coupled with Katie Pegg’s bronze medal in the women’s F46 shot put yesterday, make for a very successful couple of days for Canadian throwers.

Story continues at Athletics Canada