Catherine Debrunner's five gold a result of 22 years of hard toil

New Delhi: Switzerland’s legendary para athlete Catherine Debrunner dashed to her fifth gold medal on Friday night in the ongoing World Para Athletics Championships underway at the Capital’s Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.

Catherine, a T53 wheelchair athlete, clinched the 500 metres race having already won the 100 metres, 800 metres, 1500 metres and 5,000 metres earlier in the competition.

She won in 50.58 seconds on Friday in what is a new world championship record, as she defeated her closest rival by more than three seconds.

“It is really something special to me. I am really grateful to be here in Delhi to compete with the world’s best athletes to show the world our sports. To go home with five gold medals means a lot to me,” said the Swiss athlete to www.thedelhijunction.com.

“It is quite a tough schedule to compete in so many events. It also requires a lot of transferring from hotel to stadium but I have great experience with how to deal with that. I have a great support team here with me and they are here to make things as easy as possible for me.”

Catherine Debrunner clinched her fifth gold of Para World Athletics on Friday

Catherine, who embarked on this 22 years ago, says she was always gunning for five medals.

“Of course, I dreamed of winning five gold medals. But a lot of things can happen. The field was strong as well. So I was dreaming of it. At the end you have to do it yourself and at the end I am happy to take them home. I am happy with way it ended,” added Catherine Debrunner.

Talking about her career, the lady from near Lucerne said, “I started many, many years ago, 22 years ago. So it goes a long way. I began as a little girl and began on the race chair because I liked to be outside and move in the nature with no pressure at all. I think it is very important [for successful career], if you start as a young child who actually has no pressure.

“After that I went to races, national and international, step by step, I went onto the big stage.

But she is not basking in her week of glory. Next Sunday, she will be competing in the USA.

“The next competition is at Chicago Marathon. It is Sunday in one week. So I travel pretty soon to America and compete, I am excited about it.”

Tags : Catherine Debrunner, World Para Athletics, Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Chicago Marathon, gold medal, New Delhi