Brent Lakatos takes world gold in Paris for 3rd Para athletics medal in 5 days
Canadian Brent Lakatos earned his 12th career gold medal at the Para-Athletics World Championships on Saturday. He crossed the finish line in the T53 final of the men’s 800 meters in a record time of one minute and 34.31 seconds on a sunny evening at the Charléty Stadium in Paris.
It was a wire-to-wire win for the 43-year-old from Dorval, Que., who captured silver in the men’s T54 1.500 on Friday after placing second in Tuesday’s T53 400.
Pongsakorn Paeyo closed the gap on Lakatos as they entered the last 100 metres, but the latter held off his Thai opponent for his 18th world medal (four silver, two bronze).
Paeyo clocked 1:34.39 after winning 400 Golden Tuesdays in world record time (1:46.11).
He also defeated Lakatos over 800 meters in the 2020 Paralympic final, with a record of 1:36.07 in a driving rain in Tokyo after the Canadian was unable to maintain his lead in the first round, reaching the finish in 1:36.62.
The American Brian Siemann took bronze on Saturday in a season best of 1.36.65.
Lakatos, who has collected 10 medals in five Paralympics, is entering his seventh world championships.
LOOK | Lakatos beats Paeyo to finish for 12th world title:
Brent Lakatos of Dorval, Que., dominates the men’s 800m T53 to take his third medal, his first gold, at the 2023 World Para-Athletics Championships in Paris. The victory represents his 12th world championship and his third medal of this competition.
Watch live coverage of the World Para Athletics Championships on CBCSports.ca, the CBC Sports app and CBC Gem.
