Muvunyi wins gold at IPC World Championship

IPC World Championship800m T46 Results1. H. Muvunyi [Rwa] 1:54:04 PB2. N. Samir [Alg] 1:55:43P. Alex [Bra] 1:56:45NATIONAL champion Hermas Cliff Muvunyi won the first gold medal for Rwanda in his maiden appearance at the sixth IPC Athletics World Championships yesterday at the stade Du Rhone in Lyon, France.Muvunyi stormed to victory in 800m T46 category running 1:54:06 to register his best personal time of his career.He beat off stiff challenge from Algeria’s Samir Nouioua who won silver in a time of 1:55:43 while Brazilian Alex Pires clinched bronze in 1:56:45.“At the very beginning it was very hard because Pires was faster but thanks to my training I finally won. For the next race I am ready and I really want to break the record after clinching the gold medal. Muvunyi said.”Muvunyi gets back on track on Thursday for the 400M T46 semi final. He will face stiff challenge from London Paralympic winner Gunther Matzinger from Australia, Souza Emicarlo [Brazil], Calderon Ettiam [Cuba], Gobbi Samuele [Italy], David Bascoe [Jamaica], Shane Hudson [Jamaica], Ashida Hajimu [Japan], Aldosai Mazin [Saudi Arabia], Tshepo Bhebe [South Africa], Dena Pathiran [Sri Lanka] and Briceno Wuillian from Venezuela in the first semi final at Rhone stadium.The 24-year-old holds the record for the fastest African Paralympian in 400m after clocking 49.75secs at the 2012 London Paralympics Games.Nsengimana outMeanwhile, 1500m T46 hopeful Theoneste Nsengimana has been ruled out of competition after organisers discovered that his muscles had enlarged thus couldn’t meet the category requirements.The National Paralympic Committee chairman Celestin Nizeyimana told Times Sport yesterday. “Nsengimana will not compete in the championship. They found out that his muscles had enlarged and couldn’t find a suitable category he would compete. It’s a pity that he will not compete in the championship after months of intensive preparations,” The 25-year-old Nsingizimana qualified for world championships last year in Paris and was part of the Rwanda team which took part in the London Paralympic Games.World record smashedNine world records fell on the second day of competition at the IPC Athletics World Championships in Lyon, but it was Brazil’s Paralympic champion Alan Fonteles Cardoso Oliveira who stole the show as he sped past his rivals to victory in the 200m T43, shattering the world record in the process. The 20-year0-old clocked 20.66 seconds to claim his first world title and underline his status as the face of the Rio Games in 2016.In 200m T44, it was an American 1-2-3 but Jarryd Wallace raced home to take his first world gold, lowering the world record for the second time this World Championships.The 23-year-old powered at the bend in first place and held on to his lead to take the title ahead of David Prince and Jerome Singleton in 22.08 seconds.There was further glory for the US as teenager Raymond Martin picked up his second gold at Lyon 2013, winning the 800m T52 with a championship record time of 1:59.52.And not to be outdone, fellow American Tatyana McFadden also secured her second gold of the Championships, winning the 5,000m T54 to add the 200m title she took this morning. Switzerland’s Manuela Schaer and Edith Wolf took silver and bronze.Double Paralympic sprint champion Jason Smyth of Ireland was also in a terrific shape as he equalled his own world record to take the title in the 200m T13, having missed out in 2011 due to injury.There were two world records in the field in the afternoon – Cuba’s Paralympic champion Leonardo Diaz set a new world record of 45.32m (1011 points) in the discus F54/55/56 to retain his world title, whilst Ukrainian Mariia Pomazan also held on to the title she won in New Zealand with a world record in the women’s shot put F35/36, throwing 12.35m (1038 points).

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Muvunyi wins gold at IPC World Championship