Catherine Debrunner wins gold in women’s 5000m T54 at New Delhi 2025 World Para Athletics Championships
Swiss para-athlete Catherine Debrunner claimed gold in the women’s 5000m T54 at the IndianOil New Delhi 2025 World Para Athletics Championships. Clocking 12:18.29, she praised India’s culture, the new Mondo track, and reflected on her illustrious para-sport career.
Hyderabad: Catherine Debrunner is a star para-athlete, and she has perfectly lived up to her reputation at the IndianOil New Delhi 2025 World Para Athletics Championships on Sunday.
In the women’s 5000m T54 Final at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, the Swiss added another gold to an already very illustrious career.
Debrunner does not need any introduction, and if truth be told her accomplishment has not come as a surprise to any. She was the most successful para-athlete at the Paris Games last year with five gold and one silver. Prior to her gold on Sunday, she had also won 5 gold and three silver in the World Championships.
The 30-year-old shared her thoughts on her India experience after winning her gold in 12:18:29 ahead of Chinese Tian Yajuan and fellow Swiss Patricia Eachus. “It’s my first time in India and I must say it has been a totally different culture and country than I am used to otherwise. It’s definitely a very different experience,” she said in a chat with SAI Media
The championship boasts the brand-new Mondo Track. Debrunner gave her honest assessment of the track besides praising the iconic stadium. “The newly-laid Mondo track, it takes a while before they get really quick. Nevertheless, it’s been a decent track. It’s a really good stadium. Thank you very much for welcoming us here,” she said.
Debrunner started her journey real young and over the years she has become a legend in the para games. In 2023, she won the award of “Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability.”
Debrunner was grateful for her experiences as a para-athlete all these years. “I started when I was eight. It’s been a really long journey. I am really grateful for all the experiences that I have experienced. I have met a lot of amazing people, athletes, and some of them I have known 20 years now and seeing all of us growing not just as an athlete but also as a person, it’s been just amazing. And I am happy to be part of this community of ours. It’s my passion and live my passion every day is the nicest thing I can imagine,” she concluded.
