Silver medalist Yang Yifei (R) and gold medalist Deng Peicheng of China pose for photos after Men's 100m T36 Final at the Para Athletics World Championships held in Kobe, Japan, on May 23, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhang Xiaoyu)
KOBE, Japan, May 23 (Xinhua) -- Chinese para sprinters Deng Peicheng and Yang Yifei swept the gold and silver medals in the men's 100m T36 final on Thursday at the Para Athletics World Championships.
Deng, 27, led the victory with a season-best time of 11.95 seconds at the Universiade Memorial Stadium in the central Japanese port city of Kobe, as his compatriot Yang clinched the silver by clocking 12.35 (.344).
Mokhtar Didane of Algeria claimed the bronze with a time of 12.35 (.345) in the fiercely contested race.
T36 marks a category where para athletes that have coordination impairment compete on tracks.
The Kobe Para Athletics World Championships, held in East Asia for the first time, serve as a crucial qualifier for the Paris Paralympics. The championships have attracted over 1,000 athletes from 100 countries and regions competing in 168 events.
A total of 73 Chinese para-athletes are competing in the championships, which run until May 25. Originally scheduled for 2021, the event was postponed twice due to the COVID-19 pandemic. ■
Deng Peicheng (1st L) of China and his teammate Yang Yifei (2nd R) compete during Men's 100m T36 Final at the Para Athletics World Championships held in Kobe, Japan, on May 23, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhang Xiaoyu)