Paralympian #195 Anna Grimaldi PLY MNZM hopes her opportunity to compete in the Women’s Ambulant 100m at the London Diamond League on Saturday (18 July) will help showcase Para sport to a much wider audience.
The Diamond League is the world’s premier one-day athletics series, featuring 15 elite meetings for able-bodied athletes across the globe. In recent years, however, several meets have embraced greater inclusivity by adding Para events to the programme.
Grimaldi made her Diamond League debut last year in the mixed classification 100m at the Eugene meet in Oregon, finishing third in 12.41, and she is delighted to have earned another invitation to compete on the prestigious circuit.
“We are crying out for opportunities to share our stories and show how awesome Para sport can be and this is a great chance to show other people what we can do no matter our disability,” explains Grimaldi, a three-time Paralympic champion who claimed Women’s 200m T47 gold at Paris 2024. “To be part of a Diamond League offers up Para sport to a far greater number of people than would normally never witness it.”
The Kiwi will line up in a multi-classification race featuring an outstanding field, including Ireland’s World 100m T13 champion Orla Comerford and Netherlands Paralympic 100m T64 gold medallist Fleur Jong.
“The great thing about multi-class racing is you can stack each lane with a Paralympic or world champion or world record holder and that is unique,” she explains. “I am excited to compete against such an awesome field of high-profile Para athletes, and I can’t wait to get out there.”
Grimaldi also hopes to create happier memories at London Stadium than during her previous appearance at the venue at the 2017 World Para Athletics Championships. Arriving as the reigning Paralympic long jump T47 champion following her Rio 2016 triumph, she was hampered by injury and finished a heartbreaking one centimetre outside the medals in fourth place.
“If I’m honest the 2017 worlds was one of the most traumatic meetings of my career,” she recalls. “I had high expectations after what happened in Rio, but what I didn’t know at that time was I had a stress fracture on my foot. My world fell apart there, but the tools I have since learned have enabled me to handle the ups and downs of every campaign. It was obviously not the stadium’s fault – but I hope to create some happy memories there this weekend!”
It has taken time for the emotion of winning Paralympic gold in Paris to fully settle. After overcoming illness to secure 200m T47 bronze at the 2025 World Para Athletics Championships, the 29-year-old Dunedin-based Para athlete felt she did not produce the level of performances she expected during the 2025–26 domestic season. A stubborn hamstring issue has also lingered, but now back on the European circuit, she hopes to fine tune her preparations ahead of her maiden Commonwealth Games appearance later this month, where she represents her country in the Women’s 100m T45-47.
Her European season began with third place in the 100m in 12.76 at the Morton Games in Dublin earlier this month, but Grimaldi believes there is much more to come.
“The time (in Dublin) is what it is, but I was not happy with the performance, I almost got a bit overwhelmed by returning to competition, but I know I can do better. I just need to focus on those one or two things and replicate what I can do in training.”
***Grimaldi competes in the Women’s Ambulant 100m at 11.58pm (NZT) on Saturday 18 July at the London Diamond League. Livestream details here.
