Paralympics Ireland have announced the team that will represent Ireland at the 2025 World Para Athletics Championships in New Delhi. The Championships will take place from 27 September to 5 October at the historic Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, which is set to host more than 1,000 athletes competing across 186 medal events.
Among those selected for Ireland is Orla Comerford (Raheny Shamrock AC), who claimed bronze in the T13 100m at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. New Delhi will mark the next step in her decorated career as a three time Paralympian. Comerford has been in strong form over the past year and will be looking to build on her Paris success as she targets further podium finishes. On Saturday, 27 September, she runs the 100m T13 heat; if she advances, the final is on Sunday, 28 September. She then contests the 200m T13, with the heat on Monday, 29 September and the final on Tuesday, 30 September.
She is joined by her long-time teammate Greta Streimikyte (UCD AC), another three-time Paralympian, who placed fourth in the T13 1500m final at Paris 2024. Streimikyte has been a consistent force on the international stage since making her debut in Rio 2016 and will once again line up against the world’s best middle distance athletes in India. Greta goes straight into the 1500m T13 final on Sunday, 28 September a straight final with no preceding heat.
Completing the team is Lana Sutton (UCD AC), a rising talent of Irish Para athletics. Sutton, a T38 sprinter who has enjoyed a breakthrough year, winning silver in the 100m and bronze in the long jump at the 2024 Paris Handisport Open. New Delhi will be her first major World Championships and represents an exciting opportunity to test herself against the strongest field of her career to date. Lana races the 100m T38 heat on Sunday, 28 September, aiming for the final on Monday, 29 September. She will close out the championships with the 200m T38 final on Thursday, 2 October.
The 2025 World Para Athletics Championships is the twelfth edition of the competition and the first ever to be staged in India. The Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, with its 60,000 capacity and proud history of hosting global events such as the 1982 Asian Games and the 2010 Commonwealth Games, will provide a fitting backdrop for the largest Para sport event ever held in the country. This will be the fourth time the Championships have been hosted in Asia, following previous editions in Doha, Dubai, and Kobe.
Speaking on the announcement, Paralympics Ireland CEO Stephen McNamara said: “Everyone at Paralympics Ireland wishes our athletics team, led by James Nolan, all the best for the championships. India will be an exciting place to compete against the best in the world, and this is an important milestone for our athletes.”
Speaking on the announcement, James Nolan, Head of Paralympic Athletics said “We’re incredibly proud to see Orla Comerford, Greta Streimikyte, and Lana Sutton represent Ireland at the WPA World Championships in New Delhi. Each of these athletes has demonstrated outstanding dedication in their preparation, and their selection is a testament to the hard work by themselves and their coaches. This championship is a key milestone on the path to LA 2028, and we’re confident they’ll do themselves and their country proud on the world stage.”
Date | Athlete | Event | Heat/Final |
27th September | Orla Comerford | 100m T13 | Heat |
28th September | Lana Sutton | 100m T38 | Heat |
28th September | Greta Streimikyte | 1500m T13 | Final |
28th September | Orla Comerford | 100m T13 | Final* |
29th September | Orla Comerford | 200m T13 | Heat |
29th September | Lana Sutton | 100m T38 | Final* |
30th September | Orla Comerford | 200m T13 | Final* |
2nd October | Lana Sutton | 200m T38 | Final |