Borders wheelchair athlete Samantha Kinghorn sets new world record at UAE meeting

Borders wheelchair athlete Samantha Kinghorn celebrating her successes at this week's Sharjah international open para athletics forum in the United Arab Emirates

The Gordon 28-year-old broke the T53 1,500m world record on Monday with a time of 3:07.53.

That was two seconds faster than the previous record, held by Switzerland’s Catherine Debrunner.

Debrunner, 28, finished as runner-up, only 0.04 of a second behind Kinghorn.

That same race saw a new personal best recorded by fellow Scot Melanie Woods, also coached by Rodger Harkins.

Woods, of Glasgow, finished fourth in 3:16.78.

Kinghorn’s world record over 1,500m followed a British one over 800m set earlier that day with a time of 1:41.50, finishing second to Debrunner’s 1:37.96.

The Borderer went on to clock a new personal best over 400m on Tuesday of 51.65 seconds, finishing as runner-up to Debrunner again, with her rival crossing the line in 50.06.

A Scottish Athletics spokesperson congratulated Kinghorn on her double record success, saying: “Well done to our 2023 para athlete of the year and coach Rodger Harkins.”

Kinghorn was among 291 athletes from 38 countries competing at this year’s Sharjah meeting, the 12th.