Five world records in 10 days for Canada’s Brent Lakatos
Wheelchair racing – NOTTWIL, Switzerland – The Brent Lakatos show continued in Europe on Saturday.
The 37-year-old from Dorval, Que., notched his fifth world record in 10 days with a phenomenal performance in the men’s 1,500m T53-54 race. He clocked two minutes and 51.84 seconds smashing the previous world mark of 2:54.51 set by Marcel Hug of Switzerland in 2010.
‘’This record is more special than the others,’’ said Lakatos. ‘’I’m not only the fastest in my class (T53) but in all the wheelchair racing classes combined.’’
Richard Chiassaro of Britain was second in 2:52.11 and Hug was third in 2:55.84.
After setting 100m, 200m and 800m T53 world records in nearby Arbon last week, he put his name aside the 1500-m world mark just six weeks out from the London 2017 World Para Athletics Championships.
“It was just perfect team work that got that record – Kenny van Weeghel, Richard Chiassaro and I, we just went out for a fast time and it just happened,” explained Lakatos. “It’s great – I had no idea coming into this weekend that I would be anywhere near this kind of shape, it’s just completely unexpected and I couldn’t be happier about it.”
Lakatos was also second overall in the T53-54 100-m clocking 14.34 just behind T54 racer Leo-Pekka Tahti of Finland first in 13.74.
Becky Richter of Saskatoon added a silver in the F31-37 discus.
Jessica Frotten of Whitehorse continued to shine as well on this spring’s circuit. She was fifth overall in the T53-54 100-m wheelchair race and ranked second among the T53 racers. She was also the second best T53 and ninth overall in the 1500.