The city of Olomouc, in the eastern region of the Czech Republic, is hosting the first World Para Athletics Women’s Grand Prix this Thursday and Friday, a pioneering event that also marks the country’s debut as host of an international event of this caliber. The TJ Lokomotiva Olomouc stadium will be the venue where 173 athletes from 46 countries and four continents will compete for glory.
The event, organized by Atleticky Klub Olomouc and supported by the Czech government, the city, the region, Palacky University, and the National Paralympic Committee, is the last major event before the Para Athletics World Championships to be held in New Delhi in September.
A boost for women’s sports and inclusion
The Olomouc Grand Prix was created with the aim of offering more elite opportunities to women and encouraging investment in women’s sport and young athletes with disabilities. The competition will be broadcast live on YouTube and the results can be followed in real time, bringing the event closer to fans around the world.
The local team will have the largest delegation, with 16 athletes, followed by Uzbekistan (13), Turkey and Mexico (12 each), and Haiti and Tunisia (7). Among the Czech stars are Anna Luxova, bronze medalist in the F35 shot put at Tokyo 2020, and Eva Berna, a veteran with four Paralympic medals.
International stars and emerging talents
The Grand Prix will bring together some of the biggest names in world para athletics. Representing Africa, Tunisia’s Raoua Tlili, eight-time Paralympic champion and eleven-time world champion, will compete in the F41 discus and shot put. South Africa’s Simone Kruger, gold medalist in the F38 discus at Paris 2024 and world record holder, will also be competing in two events.
Italy’s Ambra Sabatini, world record holder in the T63 100 meters and Paralympic champion in Tokyo 2020, will compete in the sprint and long jump. From Algeria, Nassima Saifi, triple Paralympic champion in the F57 discus, will seek to add to her list of achievements in Olomouc.
Experience, youth, and local legends
The Czech event will also be a meeting point between generations. The United States will be represented by veteran Cassie Mitchell, a triple Paralympic medalist, alongside 14-year-old Brookly Gossard, who will make her debut in four T54 sprint and long-distance events.
Among the legends, Germany’s Martina Willing stands out, with three gold medals and twelve Paralympic medals between Barcelona 1992 and Rio 2016, and local athlete Eva Kacanu, champion in Beijing 2008, who at 60 years of age will compete in the F54 shot put, discus, and javelin.
An event with prizes
To celebrate this debut, the organizing committee will award cash prizes to the top three performers in five categories: seated throws, standing throws, racing chairs, standing track events, and jumps. Athletes will be ranked according to the percentage of their score relative to the world record in their class, with prizes of €750, €500, and €250 for the top three.
