Trio of world records conclude IWAS World Games 2022
29/11/2022
The International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports Federation (IWAS) World Games 2022 ended in style in Vila Real de Santo Antonio, Portugal, on Monday (28 November) with three athletics world records and a series of regional marks.
Algeria’s Nadia Medjemedj broke her own world record set in 2018 in the women’s discus F56. Medjemedj bettered her previous best of 26.28m with a 26.93m throw.

Poland’s Faustyna Kotlowska then tore down the world record of the USA’s Jessica Heims in the women’s discus F64. Kotlowska added nearly 1m to Heims’s 37.28m mark from earlier in the season, throwing 39.26m.
Rounding-off the world records for the day was Sweden’s Ellen Westling who, even with a strong headwind, leapt 3.07m in the women’s long jump F35. The previous mark of 2.66m was set in 2017 by Australia’s Holly Saunders.

Highlights elsewhere in the field from the final day included two American records for the USA’s Benjamin Foos.
Foos was on fire in both the men’s discus and shot put F40. In the discus he threw 19.46m whilst in the shot put he also went for broke with an 8.74m effort.
Ecuador’s Seneida Rodriguez also achieved a new American record in the women’s discus F46 whilst another American, Lucas Jundt, jumped 4.91m to claim a new regional record in the men’s long jump T62.
The United Arab Emirates Maryam Alzeyoudi crowned her competition with a 21.79m throw in the women’s discus F40, setting a new Asian record.
The athletics competition has featured a large programme of track and field events including those not currently on the Paralympic programme. These include race running which ended with the 400m races on Monday.
Lithuania and Sweden picked up two gold medals each in the men’s and women’s events.
Henrik Eriksson was the victor in the men’s RR1 whilst Marika Valhinger topped the podium in the women’s equivalent.
Lithuania’s Deividas Podobajevas claimed the win in the men’s RR3 and compatriot Bela Morkus dominated in the women’s RR2.
*All records are subject to ratification by World Para Athletics.
Swimming
Juan Candial Escanilla, 15, leaves the IWAS World Games 2022 as one of the most decorated athletes, winning his seventh gold medal overall on Monday.
Escanilla’s last race of the competition was the men’s 200m individual medley SM9, in which he touched in at 2:24.23.
The Spaniard beat the US 16-year-old Ryan Eidelman (2:51.52) to the wall, but the American will be happy with his one gold, three silver and one bronze medal haul.
Escanilla meanwhile takes home seven golds and two silvers.
Latvian Paralympian Jurijs Semjonovs (S8) secured a total of four golds, one silver and three bronze from the meet, adding victory in the men’s 50m backstroke mixed class on Monday.
About the IWAS World Games
The 2022 edition of the IWAS World Games featured three days of action in athletics, swimming and powerlifting.
Powerlifting was broadcast live at the IWAS Facebook page, alongside results here.
Swimming results are available here.
Athletics results are published here.
Pictures are available for editorial and social media use here.
Designed to give aspiring Paralympians and emerging athletes their first taste of international competition, the IWAS World Games have helped produce many of the world’s big name stars.
It is the formula of established athletes competing against the next generation that makes the IWAS World Games so unique and helped it to develop into one of the world’s largest sporting events for athletes with physical impairments.