A challenging season persisted for Ashlyn Renneberg in javelin until her final attempt on Sunday, where she established a Canadian and Americas record in the women’s F13 final at the Para athletics world championships in New Delhi. Despite fouling four times in her first five throws, Renneberg’s persistence paid off on her sixth attempt, launching the javelin 33.20 meters to secure the seventh spot among nine competitors.
Expressing her relief and joy, Renneberg shared with Athletics Canada, “It’s been a frustrating season, but I’ve been chasing this PB [personal best] for the last how many months now, and it’s very rewarding now to finally hit it, especially at a really big championship like this. I’m just really grateful for the work finally coming through today.” Before this achievement, her personal best was 31.48 meters at a Grand Prix event in Switzerland in June 2024, with her best this season standing at 31.23 meters.
The gold medal was claimed by China’s Yuping Zhao with a remarkable throw of 45.22 meters on her first attempt. Sheilla Wanyoyi of Kenya secured the silver medal with a personal best of 38.63 meters, while Anna Kulinich-Sorokina, competing as a neutral Para athlete, earned the bronze with a throw of 37.74 meters.
Renneberg’s journey into javelin started after being diagnosed with a brain tumor at the age of 13, causing vision impairment. Overcoming this challenge, she found solace and passion in javelin, a sport that combines running and throwing. Her coach, Tyrell Sawatzky, expressed optimism about her future in the sport, acknowledging her potential for a long and successful career.
In the women’s shot put F37 final, Carleigh Hiltz from Truro, N.S., achieved a personal best with a throw of 10.27 meters, securing the fifth position.
Among other Canadian results, Austin Smeenk from Oakville, Ont., ranked third in the men’s 400-meter T34 heat with a time of 49.46 seconds, qualifying for the final on Monday. Julia Hanes from LaSalle, Ont., will participate in the F34 javelin final, while Addisyn Franceschini and Nick Neri will make their debut in the women’s F64 discus final and men’s 1,500 T13 heats, respectively, at the world championships.