Canadian athlete Nate Tucker secured a new world record victory at the Para athletics world championships held in New Delhi. Tucker, a native of Victoria, achieved this milestone in the men’s 1,500-meter T38 final, clocking in at an impressive three minutes and 57.98 seconds. This remarkable performance marked his third world title in this event, surpassing his own championship record.
During the competition, Tucker strategically positioned himself near the front before accelerating on the final lap to claim the lead. With a significant improvement from his previous record set six years ago in Dubai, Tucker shaved off 3.9 seconds to clinch the gold. Following behind him, Tunisia’s Amen Allah Tissaoui and Australia’s Angus Hincksman secured the silver and bronze medals, respectively.
Expressing his gratitude towards his coach, Heather Hennigar, Tucker emphasized the team effort behind his success, stating, “It’s all about my team, it’s not about me. My coach, Heather, is the best coach in the world.” Notably, Tucker, formerly known as Nate Riech, had also triumphed in the 1,500-meter world title in Paris 2023 before capturing silver at the Paris Paralympics in 2024.
In addition to Tucker’s exceptional performance, fellow Canadians Liam Stanley, Marissa Papaconstantinou, and Austin Smeenk also made their mark on the podium. Papaconstantinou secured her first career world silver medal in the women’s 200 T64 final, overcoming health challenges to finish second behind Marlene van Gansewinkel of the Netherlands. On the other hand, Smeenk claimed bronze in the men’s 800 T34 event, adding to his previous bronze in the men’s 400 T34 final.
With a total of nine medals, including three gold, Canada concluded the world championships on a high note. Other notable Canadian results on the final day included Renee Foessel placing fifth in the women’s discus throw F38 final, Sheriauna Haase finishing eighth in the men’s 200-meter T47 final, and Chloe Dunbar ranking sixth in the women’s 200 T47 heats.