Bulgaria's Ruzhdi Ruzhdi sets shot put world record at World Para Athletics Championships

The 2023 World Para Athletics Championships in Paris got off to an exciting start on Sunday, headlined by a world record performance and 11 gold medals.

Bulgaria's Ruzhdi Ruzhdi set a world record in the men's F55 shot put event, winning his fourth straight world championship with a throw of 12.68 metres at Stade Charléty. The performance surpassed the previous mark of 12.63 set at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics by Brazilian rival Wallace Santos, who bested Ruzhdi for the gold medal that day.

Ruzhdi, a two-time Paralympic medallist, held the record before Santos with his gold-medal throw at the 2017 world championships in London (12.47m).

Santos finished third on Sunday with a throw of 11.87m, while Poland's Lech Stoltman claimed silver with a personal best (12.27m).

Bulgaria’s Ruzhdi Ruzhdi is now a 4x World Champion in the Men's Shot Put F55