Ashlyn Renneberg faced a challenging season in the javelin event until her final throw on Sunday at the Para athletics world championships in New Delhi, where she set new Canadian and Americas records in the women’s F13 final.
Despite fouling four times in five attempts, with only her second throw of 29.14 meters counting, the Saskatoon native exhibited patience and determination. In her sixth attempt, Renneberg unleashed a remarkable throw of 33.20 meters, securing seventh place out of nine competitors.
Expressing her relief and satisfaction, Renneberg shared, “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.”
Previously, the 20-year-old’s personal best was 31.48 meters achieved at a Grand Prix in Switzerland in June 2024. Leading up to Sunday’s competition, Renneberg’s best mark this season had been 31.23 meters.
The gold medal in the event was claimed by China’s Yuping Zhao, who achieved a season-best throw of 45.22 meters on her first attempt. Sheilla Wanyoyi of Kenya secured silver with a 38.63-meter personal best, while Anna Kulinich-Sorokina, competing as a neutral Para athlete, took home the bronze with a 37.74-meter throw.
Renneberg’s journey in javelin began after being diagnosed with a brain tumor at the age of 13, which resulted in vision loss. Overcoming this adversity, she found solace and passion in javelin, a sport that combines running and throwing.
Reflecting on her experience, Renneberg shared, “I just feel so free on the track, and it makes me feel happy when I’m here and just doing the event itself.”
Despite her visual challenges, Renneberg continues to excel in the sport, with her coach Tyrell Sawatzky expressing confidence in her potential for a long and successful career.
In other Canadian results, Carleigh Hiltz of Truro, N.S., achieved a personal best throw of 10.27 meters in the women’s shot put F37 final, securing fifth place.
Looking ahead, Austin Smeenk from Oakville, Ont., qualified for the men’s 400-meter T34 final with a third-place finish in the heats. Julia Hanes of LaSalle, Ont., is set to compete in the F34 javelin final, while Addisyn Franceschini and Nick Neri will make their world championships debuts in the women’s F64 discus final and men’s 1,500 T13 heats, respectively.