Pembroke Smashes World Record to Retain Paralympic Javelin Title in Paris

Great Britain's Daniel Pembroke delivered a stunning performance at the Paris Paralympics, breaking the world record to retain his men’s F13 javelin title. The 33-year-old hurled an incredible 74.49 metres in his fourth attempt at the Stade de France on Thursday, shattering the previous world record of 71.01m set by Uzbekistan's Aleksandr Svechnikov in 2017.

Pembroke had already surpassed the old mark with his third throw of 71.15m before producing an even more spectacular effort to secure gold and confirm his place as the world's best. His record-breaking throw added 3.48 metres to Svechnikov’s record, capping a dominant display by the Briton, who has now claimed two world titles and back-to-back Paralympic golds since his victory in Tokyo three years ago.

“I’m over the moon,” said Pembroke. “To break the world record and win gold again in Paris is a dream come true. It’s been an amazing journey since Tokyo, and I couldn’t be prouder of the work we’ve put in.”

Pembroke's victory highlighted a successful day for ParalympicsGB in athletics. Earlier in the evening, Sammi Kinghorn secured her fourth medal of the Paris Games with a silver in the women’s T53 400m. Kinghorn, a mainstay in British Paralympic athletics, added to her impressive medal haul, cementing her status as one of the nation’s top performers.

In the morning session, Anna Nicholson captured bronze in the women’s F35 shot put, with a throw of 9.44 metres amid challenging wet conditions. Nicholson was just 3cm shy of her personal best but thrilled to stand on the podium. “I’m over the moon with the bronze,” she said. “The conditions were tough, but I just focused on my technique, and I’m delighted with the result.”

However, there was heartbreak for Olivia Breen in the women’s T38 long jump, where she missed out on a bronze medal by the slimmest of margins. Breen’s best jump of 4.99 metres matched Colombia’s Karen Palomeque Moreno, but the South American edged her out with a superior second-best jump of 4.89m compared to Breen’s 4.79m. Maddie Down, Breen’s teammate, finished sixth in the event.

Elsewhere, Funmi Oduwaiye placed fifth in the women’s F64 shot put, while Nathan Maguire narrowly missed a podium finish in the men’s T54 800m. Maguire finished fourth, just 0.11 seconds behind Switzerland’s Marcel Hug, who claimed the bronze.

In other finals, Melanie Woods finished sixth in the women’s T54 400m, and Dan Greaves and Harrison Walsh took sixth and seventh place respectively in the men’s F64 shot put.

In the sprint events, Marcus Perrineau Daley progressed to the final of the men’s T52 100m after a personal best time of 16.87 seconds saw him finish second in his heat.

With Pembroke’s record-breaking triumph and a string of strong performances, it was another successful day for ParalympicsGB in Paris, promising even more exciting results in the days to come.