Valencian Kim López beats the world record in shot put

Kim was proclaimed European champion with a throw of 17.02 metres, the first visually impaired athlete in history to surpass 17 metres, breaking the world record in shot put at the European Paralympic Athletics Championships in Bydgoszcz (Poland).
With a throw of 17.02m, Lopez beat the previous world record held by his great rival, Ukraine’s Roman Danyliuk, from 2019 by 33 centimetres.
Lopez’s competition began with a first throw that went beyond 16 metres (16.08). In the second attempt, Ukrainian Roman Danyliuk snatched the lead with a mark of 16.24. The Spaniard had to wait until his fourth throw to break all the records, beating the world record.

The Valencian athlete’s spectacular performance earned him the title of European champion for the fifth time in his sporting career and made history as the first visually impaired athlete to break the 17-metre barrier in the shot put.
This gold medal in Poland adds to a other individual awards that includes the title of Paralympic champion in Rio 2016, world champion in Lyon 2013 and world runner-up in Dubai 2019.
Kim Lopez had already secured his place at the next Paralympic Games in Tokyo before the European Championships, but this world record makes him a top contender to reach the top of the podium in the Japanese capital in less than three months’ time.