Aitchison lowers world record mark
Paralympian #211 Danielle Aitchison chipped 0.03 from her Women’s 100m T36 world record with a stunning 13.20 run to take gold at the Oceania Athletics Championships in Darwin. The four-time Paralympic medallist had blitzed to a world record time of 13.23 in April at the Australian Championships in Sydney. Aitchison also pouched gold in the Women’s 200m Ambulant in Darwin, registering a world-class 27.49.
Paralympian #183 Holly Robinson MNZM led home a one-two from Paralympian #210 Lisa Adams in a high-class Women’s Shot Ambulant. Robinson, who won Women’s Shot F46 bronze at Paris 2024, powered the shot out to 12.83m with Adams, the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Women’s Shot F37 gold medallist, unleashing a mark of 13.61m. Robinson secured gold from Adams by achieving 96.32% of the world record mark, compared to Adams’ 87.80%. Robinson also set an Oceania F46 record with 12.88m when seventh in the Senior Women’s Shot.
Paralympian #234 Mitch Joynt was also in great shape, blasting to an Oceania T64 record of 11.74m when seventh in the Men’s 100m Ambulant and also winning bronze in the Men’s 200m Ambulant, posting a swift 22.89
Kiwi Para athletes also enjoyed success in the Women’s Discus Ambulant event with Charli Gardiner-Hall securing gold thanks to a national U20 and U19 F37 record of 28.57m. Countrywoman Sionnan Murphy F37 (25.07m) claimed bronze.
Jack Adams also banked three bronze medals in the ambulant Men’s Shot, Men’s Discus and Men’s Javelin setting national F46 records with 11.60m and 32.65m, respectively, in the former two events.
Johnstone proves a splash at swimming nationals
Jessica Johnstone was the breakout star in the multi-class events at the 2026 New Zealand Swimming Championships in Auckland. The SB9 swimmer took gold in the Women’s 100m Breaststroke in a world-class 1:18.41 to defeat 2025 World Para Swimming Championships silver medallist in this event, Paralympian #237 Gabriella Smith (1:21.23). Cambridge-based Johnstone also secured gold in the Women’s 50m Breaststroke Multi-Class, recording 37.06.
Paralympian #238 Josh Willmer smashed the New Zealand SB8 record in the heats of the multi-class Men’s 100m Breaststroke, recording 1:10.58. He also set a national Men’s 50m Breaststroke SB8 record in the heats, posting 32.65. He went on to win silver in both multi-class finals.
Three-time Paralympic champion, Paralympian #164 Cameron Leslie was also in good shape, notching gold medals in the multi-class Men’s 50m Freestyle and Men’s 50m Backstroke and silver in the Men’s 100m Freestyle.
Para canoeist Murphy lands brilliant silver
Finn Murphy achieved the finest result of his international career winning a joint silver medal in the Men’s KL3 200m at the ICF Canoe Sprint and Paracanoe World Cup in Brandenburg, Germany. Murphy, a below the knee leg amputee who only made his international debut last year claimed a comprehensive win in his semi-final before the Auckland-based Para canoeist powered to silver in 44.91 alongside Brazilian Miqueios Elias Rodrigues. Sergii Yemelianov of Georgia clinched gold in 44.14. Paralympian #231 Peter Cowan, the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games bronze medallist, finished fifth in the final of the Men’s VL3 200m – less than half-a-second from a podium spot.
Mead claims World Cup bronze
Paralympian #221 Rory Mead continued his excellent recent run of results by claiming a bronze medal at the UCI Para cycling Road World Cup in the Men’s H2 Time Trial at Abruzzo, Italy. Competing over a two-lap course totally 17.2km, the US-based Kiwi defeated 2024 world time trial champion Luca Mazzone and finished behind Paris Paralympic gold medallists Florian Jouanny of France and Sergio Garrote Munoz of Spain. Mead’s success in Abruzzo follows on from his bronze medals in the Men’s H2 Time Trial and Men’s H2 Road Race at the UCI Para cycling Road World Cup in Gistel, Belgium in April.
New Zealand secures six Para swimming medals in Japan
The New Zealand impressed at the Para Swimming World Series in Fuji-Shizuoka. In the open category Jessica Johnstone (SB9) caught the eye to win silver in the Women’s 100m Breaststroke in 1:19.35 with Paralympian #164 Cameron Leslie (S4) taking bronze in the Men’s 50m backstroke.
Johnstone also won gold in the youth Women’s 100m Breaststroke. Rylee Sayer (S7) enjoyed a successful meet winning gold in the youth women’s 400m freestyle (S7) and silver medals in the youth women’s 50m freestyle (S7) and youth women’s 100m breaststroke (SB7).
