UWA student athlete, Rhiannon Clarke contributed to Australia’s record-breaking performance with a silver medal finish in the 400m T38 Final. The 2023 World Para Athletics Championships took place in Paris, France on Saturday 8 July until Monday 17 July 2023.
The UWA Athletics club member has been steadily building with impressive results in the last few pinnacle events.
Clarke made her international debut for Australia as a 15-year-old at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast, Queensland. The young para-athlete burst on the scene winning the silver medal in 100m T38 final at the event. Clarke continued to excel on the world stage winning dual bronze medal bronze in the T38 100m and T38 200m at the 2019 World Para Athletic Championships in Dubai.
Most recently, Clarke finished on the podium at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games, placing third in the T38 100m with an impressive time of 13.13 seconds. Clarke has since built a reputation as a fierce competitor and emerging star in the para-athletics world.
Clarke is one of the emerging crop of talent that stamped their presence in Paris with the star athlete securing top 4 finishes in all her entered disciplines.
The 20-year-old produced impressive results in Paris placing 4th in T38 100m and T38 200m. In a competitive field, the Australian star was separated from her competition by a matter of centimetres and milliseconds.
Clarke prevailed in the last event finishing second overall in the T38 400m event and setting a new Australian and Oceanic record with a time of 1:02.36. Rhiannon Clarke will now shift focus on preparations for the upcoming Paralympics in 2024.
UWA Sport congratulates Rhiannon Clarke on a remarkable campaign at the 2023 World Para Athletics Championships.