Over 4 days of competition elite athletes with an intellectual impairment rewrote the record books with 27 Virtus World records and numerous displays of precision, power and unforgettable performances at the 2025 Virtus World Athletics Championships in Brisbane in October.  

Italy topped the medal table with 20 gold, 11 silver and 10 bronze medals for a total  of 41 medals overall and 8 Virtus World Records; racing in at second was Australia with 10 gold, 22 Silver and 14 bronze  medals for a total of 46 medals overall and 6 Virtus World Records followed by Poland coming with 9 gold, 6 silver and 2 bronze  medals and a total of 17 medal overall.  

The Italian relay teams had standout moments in the men’s II-1 and II-2 4x100m relays.  Competing in the II-1 relay the team of Salvatore Bianca, Fallou Seck, Mario Bertolaso and Ndiaga Dieng raised the bar with a new world mark of 43.26 seconds while II-2 teammates Enrico Tridente, Andrea Piacentini, Tiziano Capitani and Giovanni Zaramella setting another Virtus World Record in their relay in 58.31 seconds. 

Great Britain’s Saide Graham-Mulvaney set two Virtus World Records — 12.81 seconds in the Women’s II-3 100m and 27.35 seconds in the Women’s II-3 200m. 

Spain’s Pineda Mejia made a brilliant performance in the Men’s II-1 200m setting the Virtus World record of 21.37 seconds then joined Deliber Rodriguez, Dionibel Rodriguez and Asier Martinez in the final event of the Championships, the men’s II-1 4 x 400m to establish a new world record in a time of 3:19.20.   The team from Japan lead the relay from the start with Spain running them down in the last 50 metres in one of the most exciting events at the Championships. 

Japan’s Kai Kameyama stood on the podium with a gold medal  in the men’s II-2 Javelin Throw with a winning and record-breaking distance of 30.23m. 

Australia’s Siarne Davis made an unforgettable start to her International career breaking not one, but three Virtus World Records in the women’s II-3 Discus (37.6m), Javelin (19.11m) and Shot Put (8.59). 

On the track, Emma Papantoniou set a new Virtus World Record in the women’s II-3 800m with a time of 2:55.41. 

Athletes in the youth competition shone with National records  being set signalling strong talent in the next generation. 

In the teams competitions,  Australia won the men’s II-1 and II-3 combined while Poland took out the II-1 women and Italy winning the combined II-2 teams events. 

Czech Republic’s David Vodstrcil’s  World record winning performance in the II-2 triathlon was named as the most outstanding performance.  

Portugal’s Ana Filipe (II-1) and  Brazil’s Pedro Henrique (II-2) were named as the most outstanding female and male athletes. 

The 11th Virtus World Athletics Championships (8–15 October 2025) brought together 30 countries and more than 300 participants.  

Incorporated into the Championship program were events for Oceania athletes as Sport Inclusion Australia continues it work within the Oceania region to develop athletes and pathways.  

The Championship was a showcase of precision, power and world-class performance from elite athletes with intellectual impairment.  

The 2025 event was delivered by Sport Inclusion Australia and conducted by Queensland Athletics, with support from the Australian Government, Queensland Government, Brisbane City Council and sponsor Superopti. 

View the full results

To learn more about the 2025 Virtus World Athletics Championships at the website: https://sportinclusionaustralia.org.au/2025-virtus-world-athletics-championships/  

 

Sport Inclusion Australia (SIA) is proud to announce its latest initiative, the Included Through Sport – Australia–China Immersion Project, using sport diplomacy to drive social impact and build inclusive communities across borders. 

The initiative aims to brings together government, sport and community leaders in Australia and China to use sport as a powerful medium to drive greater social, health and economic benefits. 

Funded by the National Foundation for Australia-China Relations, the project is a significant expansion of Sport Inclusion Australia’s international footprint and deepens its commitment to advancing inclusion for people with an intellectual impairment. 

As part of the program, Sport Inclusion Australia will deliver its Inclusive Sport Leadership workshops, empowering organisations with practices to embed inclusion and build sustainable programs tailored to local needs. 

This is more than a knowledge exchange — it’s a cultural immersion. The project will foster two-way learning, to strengthen connections and identify insights and opportunities that seeks to improve accessibility and cultural responsiveness.  

“This project brings people together through sport, no matter where they come from – it’s a universal language,” said Robyn Smith OAM, CEO of Sport Inclusion Australia.  

“It’s about building a global movement for inclusion that reflects the diversity of our communities and the dignity of every person.” 

Sport Inclusion Australia is renowned for delivering government-funded initiatives across the Pacific Islands, Latin America, the Middle East, Korea, and Japan — using sport to foster connection, understanding and opportunity.