10th April 2020

LONDON 2017 THROWBACK: KINGHORN CAPTURES FIRST WORLD TITLE

Saturday 15th July – the day when five GB & NI athletes were crowned world champion – an exceptional day of British sport. One of those experiencing such global success for the first time was Sammi Kinghorn who triumphed in the T53 200 metres.

Kinghorn had reached three finals at the Paralympic Games less than a year prior to the Championships in London, and she vowed after it that she would be challenging for medals in the near future. Fast forward to July 2017 and Kinghorn arrived in the form of her life after setting records galore in the months leading up to the event.

Kinghorn entered the stadium following victories for Hollie Arnold, Richard Whitehead and Sophie Hahn which were fresh in the memory of the vocal home crowd. With the 200 metres offering her first shot at a medal, this was the Scottish athlete’s time to shine.

With the reigning world champion, Angela Ballard (AUS), and silver medallist Hamide Kurt (TUR) lining up alongside her, on paper, it looked like a tight contest to call. However, the challenge was dealt with superbly by Kinghorn.

The Ian Mirfin-coached athlete started in a flash, pushing out to an early advantage over her rivals on the bend. From lane seven, she put the pressure on those in the inside lanes to close the gap from the off, but it was clear to see the Briton had no intention of letting those athletes back into the race.

As she transitioned into the home straight with less than 100m to go, Kinghorn maintained her lead over Ballard, holding a chair length over her Aussie rival to claim the gold medal in a world record time of 28.61, much to her astonishment as she crossed the line.

As she enjoyed her lap of honour, the realisation that she was world champion began to sink in. As she found family and friends in the crowd around the arena, Kinghorn’s sensational race was replayed on the big screen, stirring up the crowd in their wild applause.

It was a breakthrough moment for Kinghorn as she bagged the first world title of her career. She went on to add to her tally on the final day as she won the T53 100m to end a very successful week with two gold medals.