New names to break through included Italian amputee sprinter Maxcel Amo Manu, who won the T64 100m, beating Britain’s Jonnie Peacock into fifth, and then took a dramatic 200m in the final session.
American teenager Jaydin Blackwell, who has cerebral palsy, also created a stir, completing a double in the T38 100m and 400m on his major championship debut, setting a world record in the latter.
And Colombia’s Karen Palomeque set two world records on her way to three golds in the T37 100m, 200m and 400m.
“People are now running faster, jumping further and throwing further,” explained javelin thrower Hollie Arnold, who has been part of the GB team since 2008 and won her fifth world title in Paris.
“But I think people have so much expectation on those who have won before. They do everything on the day and that is what they give, but that doesn’t mean to say they aren’t working hard.
“It’s good for the sport to have new people coming through because it shows how much talent there is and we need more.”
Established Swiss wheelchair racers Catherine Debrunner and Manuela Schaer dominated their events, coming back with four and two golds apiece while their team-mate Marcel Hug added another three titles to his long list of honours.
And once again, German ‘Blade Jumper’ Markus Rehm thrilled the crowd with victory in his long jump event in a new championship record of 8.49m – a mark which would have won gold at every Olympics from Athens in 2004 onwards.
The main disappointment was the performance of the home nation, with France only winning four bronze medals to languish 58th in the medal table below the likes of Costa Rica, Mauritius and Saudi Arabia.
The performance will heap pressure on the athletics team, many of whom do not have age on their side, before next year’s Games where they will find themselves under massive scrutiny.
