Erin Pearson
GEELONG’S newly crowned disabled athletics world champions will return home with gold medals and records after blitzing their competition in New Zealand this week.
Kelly Cartwright, who lost her leg to cancer at age 15, smashed the long jump world record for leg amputees on Sunday with a 4.9m leap to score her first IPC Athletics World Championships medal.
On Tuesday she earned her dual medal win when she took out the 100m.
“I don’t think it’s settled in,” Cartwright said.
“I can’t thank my coach Tim Matthews enough -) only months ago I was in hospital recovering from surgery.”
Geelong’s Richard Colman will also bring home gold after winning an 800m wheelchair race.
The Athens Paralympics 800m gold medallist pushed hard through the second lap to secure victory with a new world championship record of 1.41:58.
“I’m happy with my results. It’s the start of a big campaign,” Colman said.