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Catherine Debrunner

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Catherine Debrunner
Training von Catherine Debrunner in Nottwil
Personal information
NationalitySwitzerland
Born (1995-04-11) 11 April 1995 (age 30)
Mettendorf TG
EducationThurgau University of Education
Sport
Disability classT53
ClubRed Velvet Racing Team
Coached byArno Mul
Medal record
Women's para-athletics
Representing  Switzerland
Paralympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2020 Tokyo 400 m T53
Gold medal – first place 2024 Paris 400 m T53
Gold medal – first place 2024 Paris 800 m T53
Gold medal – first place 2024 Paris 1500 m T54
Gold medal – first place 2024 Paris 5000 m T54
Gold medal – first place 2024 Paris Marathon T54
Silver medal – second place 2024 Paris 100 m T53
Bronze medal – third place 2020 Tokyo 800 m T53
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2019 Dubai 400m T53
Gold medal – first place 2023 Paris 5000m T54
Gold medal – first place 2023 Paris 400m T53
Gold medal – first place 2023 Paris 800m T53
Gold medal – first place 2023 Paris 1500m T54
Silver medal – second place 2015 Doha 200m T53
Silver medal – second place 2019 Dubai 800m T53
Silver medal – second place 2023 Paris 100m T53
World Marathon Majors
Gold medal – first place Tokyo Marathon 2025
Gold medal – first place London Marathon 2022, 2024,2025
Gold medal – first place Berlin Marathon 2022, 2023, 2024
Gold medal – first place Chicago Marathon 2023–2024
Gold medal – first place New York City Marathon 2023
Bronze medal – third place London Marathon 2023
Silver medal – second place Boston Marathon 2025

Catherine Debrunner (born 11 April 1995) is a Swiss athlete competing in the T53 wheelchair division. She won five gold medals at the 2024 Paralympics in Paris including one for the T54 Marathon.[1]
Since winning at her marathondebut in the 2022 Berlin Marathon, she has won 10 times a World Marathon Majors.

She has competed for Team Switzerland since 2008 and has won multiple World- and European Championship medals, as well as Paralympic Medals.

Early life

[edit]

Debrunner was born on 11 April 1995 in Mettendorf, Switzerland.[2] Due to a birth defect in her spine, she uses a wheelchair.[3] While attending a sports camp in Nottwil, she met her future trainer and coach Paul Odermatt.[4] Since 2021 she is coached by Arno Mul (NED).[5]

Career on the track

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Debrunner made her international debut at the IWAS World Youth Games, New Jersey 2008 [6] where she won 5 gold medals and was presented the "Athlete with International Potential" award.[7]

Debrunner made her international senior debut at the 2013 IPC Athletics World Championships in Lyon. Her first World Championship medal she won in the T53 200 metres at the 2015 IPC Athletics World Championships, with a time of 30.64.[8]
She qualified for the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio,[9] where she finished seventh in the Women's 400 metres.[10]

Debrunner subsequently took a break from sports to focus on her education before returning to Team Switzerland for the 2019 World Para Athletics Championships.[11] In Dubai, she earned a gold medal in the Women's 400m T53[12] and a silver medal in the women's 800m T53 race.[13]
At the 2023 World Para Athletics Championships Debrunner won 4 golds in the 400m 800m, 1500m and 5000m. She also added one silver medal by finishing second behind Sammi Kinghorn.[14]

Her first Paralympic Medal Debrunner won in Tokyo 2020 at the Athletics at the 2020 Summer Paralympics – Women's 800 metres T53. She finished 3rd behind Madison de Rozario and Zhou Hongzhuan. Her first Gold medal came in the Athletics at the 2020 Summer Paralympics – Women's 400 metres T53 where she beat Samantha Kinghorn and Zhou Hongzhuan.
She won five gold medals and a silver at the 2024 Paralympics in Paris. Including a gold for the T54 Marathon which she led from start. The Australian Madison de Rozario came second and the American Susannah Scaroni had the bronze medal.[15]

Career on the road

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When the 2022 World Championships were cancelled, Debrunner looked for a new challenge. She decided to focus on marathons for the rest of that year. At the 2022 Berlin Marathon, Debrunner, competing in her first marathon, won the race with a time of 1:36:47, breaking Manuela Schär's streak of five Berlin Marathon wins.[16] She went on to win the 2022 London Marathon a week later.
In 2023, Debrunner set the world record at the 2023 Berlin Marathon with a time of 1:34:16[17] and made her U.S. race debut in the 2023 Chicago Marathon in October. During the Chicago marathon, Debrunner set a new course record with a time of 1:38:44.[18] She also won the 2023 New York City Marathon, setting a course record with a time of 1:39:32,[19]
In 2024 she won the 2024 London Marathon,[20] the 2024 Berlin Marathon [21] and the 2024 Chicago Marathon.[22]

In 2025 Debrunner won the 2025 Tokyo Marathon[23] and the 2025 London Marathon[24] and finished 2nd in the 2025 Boston Marathon behind Susannah Scaroni.

Debrunner won in 2023 and in 2024 the overall ranking in World Marathon Majors.[25]

Debrunner holds 9 WPA world records. She holds the 100m T53, 200m T53, 400m T53, 800m T53, 1500m T53/T54 and 5000m T53/T54 on the track. On the road she holds the World Records in 10k, half marathon and marathon.[26]

Laureus World Sportsaward

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In May 2023, Debrunner was awarded the Laureus World Sports Award for Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability.[27]
In 2025 Debrunner was also nominated for this award.

Personal bests

[edit]
As of June 5th, 2025
Event Performance Location Date
100 metres 15,20 (+1.1 m/s) [a] Nottwil May 24, 2025
200 metres 27,47 (+0.0 m/s) [a] Nottwil May 26, 2022
400 metres 49,02 [a] Arbon May 31, 2025
800 metres 1:37,96 [a] Sjarjah February 4, 2024
1500 metres 3:02,26 [a] Arbon May 31, 2025
5000 metres 10:24,36 [a] Nottwil June 1, 2025
10k ROAD 21:21,0 [a] Ōita (city) November 17, 2024
Half marathon 46:51 [a] Ōita (city) November 19, 2023
Marathon 1:34:16 [a] Berlin September 24, 2023
a World record
[edit]

=References

[edit]
  1. ^ "PARIS 2024 PARALYMPIC GAMES: MARCEL HUG AND CATHERINE DEBRUNNER CLAIM T54 MARATHON TITLES". 8 September 2024.
  2. ^ "Catherine Debrunner, Athletics". swissparalympic.ch. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  3. ^ Bingesser, Felix (18 November 2019). "So herzlich wird Debrunner von ihren Schülern empfangen". blick.ch. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  4. ^ "Catherine Debrunner". paralympic.org. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  5. ^ "NYRR Media Center Catherine Debrunner". Retrieved 29 October 2023.
  6. ^ "IWAS World Youth Games, New Jersey 2008".
  7. ^ "Athlete with International Potential Award".
  8. ^ Wright, Stephen (23 October 2015). "Fourth-place finish an 'incredible' feeling". Royal Gazette. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  9. ^ "The Swiss Paralympic athletes Brazil 2016". houseofswitzerland.org. 7 September 2016. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  10. ^ "Results Archive Rio 2016 Athletics - Women's 400 m T53". paralympic.org. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  11. ^ Sachers, Laura (29 October 2019). "Aus dem Schulzimmer nach Dubai: Die Hüttlinger Rollstuhlathletin Catherine Debrunner ist zurück im Spitzensport". St. Galler Tagblatt. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  12. ^ "Gold für Thurgauerin Catherine Debrunner an der Para-Leichathletik-WM". toponline.ch (in German). 9 November 2019. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  13. ^ "Madison de Rozario and Vanessa Low win world para championship gold medals". 7news.com.au. 12 November 2019. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  14. ^ "Year in review: Paris 23 World Championships top moments". Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  15. ^ "PARIS 2024 PARALYMPIC GAMES: MARCEL HUG AND CATHERINE DEBRUNNER CLAIM T54 MARATHON TITLES". 8 September 2024.
  16. ^ "BMW BERLIN-MARATHON 2022". Archived from the original on 25 September 2022. Retrieved 5 November 2023.
  17. ^ "Catherine Debrunner pulverises world record at Berlin Marathon". Paralympics. Archived from the original on 18 November 2023. Retrieved 25 December 2023.
  18. ^ "Marcel Hug and Catherine Debrunner set new course records at Chicago Marathon". Paralympics. Archived from the original on 18 November 2023. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
  19. ^ "TCS New York City Marathon Becomes World's Largest Marathon in 2023" (Press release). New York: New York Road Runners. 6 November 2023. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
  20. ^ Staff, A. O. L. (21 April 2024). "London Marathon 2024 results: Marcel Hug and Catherine Debrunner win wheelchair races". www.aol.com.
  21. ^ "Catherine Debrunner keeps winning streak with Berlin Marathon title".
  22. ^ "Debrunner, Hug continue dominance with Chicago Marathon titles".
  23. ^ "Debrunner celebrates Tokyo Marathon win and Laureus nomination".
  24. ^ "Catherine Debrunner and Marcel Hug fly to 2025 London Marathon victory".
  25. ^ "Champions".
  26. ^ "WPA Records".
  27. ^ "Messi & Argentina World Cup team win Laureus awards". BBC Sport. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
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