A frustrating season continued for Ashlyn Renneberg in javelin until the last of six throws on Sunday when she set a Canadian and Americas record in the women’s F13 final at the Para athletics world championships in New Delhi.
The Saskatoon native had fouled four times in five attempts, with only her second try counting, a throw of 29.14 metres. But a patient Renneberg reached back for something extra on the sixth attempt and threw 33.20 for seventh in a field of nine.
“It’s been a frustrating season, but I’ve been chasing this PB [personal best] for the last how many months now, and it’s very rewarding now to finally hit it, especially at a really big championship like this,” she told Athletics Canada. “I’m just really grateful for the work finally coming through today.”
The 20-year-old’s previous PB was 31.48 at a Grand Prix in Switzerland in June 2024. Before Sunday, Renneberg’s best this season was 31.23.
China’s Yuping Zhao of China won the gold medal on Sunday, throwing a season-best 45.22 on her first attempt. Sheilla Wanyoyi (38.63 PB) of Kenya captured silver and Anna Kulinich-Sorokina, competing as a neutral Para athlete, took bronze (37.74).
At 13, Renneberg was diagnosed with a brain tumour that led to vision loss.
Following a second surgery, she came across javelin, which involves a combination of running and throwing.
“I just feel so free on the track, and it makes me feel happy when I’m here and just doing the event itself,” Renneberg told CBC News last year.
The biggest challenge in terms of her visual limitation tends to be assessing where the starting line is, with Renneberg having to count the steps to ensure she’s not far short of the line or beyond it.
“So she has a very long career ahead of her if she chooses to continue pursuing this, which [it] very much seems like she will,” Saskatoon Track and Field Club coach Tyrell Sawatzky told CBC News in 2024.
In the women’s shot put F37 final, Carleigh Hiltz of Truro, N.S., threw a 10.27m PB and placed fifth.
On Monday, Smeenk will compete in the men’s 400 T34 final, an event in which he previously held the world record of 48.06.
Julia Hanes of LaSalle, Ont., takes her first throws of these championships, competing in the F34 javelin final.
Addisyn Franceschini and Nick Neri make their world championships debuts in the women’s F64 discus final, and men’s 1,500 T13 heats, respectively.
