Catherine Debrunner facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Catherine Debrunner

Training von Catherine Debrunner in Nottwil
Personal information
Nationality	Switzerland
Born	(1995-04-11) 11 April 1995 (age 31) Mettendorf TG
Education	Thurgau University of Education
Sport
Disability class	T53
Club	Red Velvet Racing Team
Coached by	Arno Mul
Medal record Women's para-athletics Representing  Switzerland Paralympic Games Gold 2020 Tokyo 400 m T53 Gold 2024 Paris 400 m T53 Gold 2024 Paris 800 m T53 Gold 2024 Paris 1500 m T54 Gold 2024 Paris 5000 m T54 Gold 2024 Paris Marathon T54 Silver 2024 Paris 100 m T53 Bronze 2020 Tokyo 800 m T53 World Championships Gold 2019 Dubai 400m T53 Gold 2023 Paris 5000m T54 Gold 2023 Paris 400m T53 Gold 2023 Paris 800m T53 Gold 2023 Paris 1500m T54 Gold 2025 New Delhi 100m T53 Gold 2025 New Delhi 400m T53 Gold 2025 New Delhi 800m T53 Gold 2025 New Delhi 1500m T54 Gold 2025 New Delhi 5000m T54 Silver 2015 Doha 200m T53 Silver 2019 Dubai 800m T53 Silver 2023 Paris 100m T53 World Marathon Majors Gold Tokyo Marathon 2025, 2026 Gold London Marathon 2022, 2024,2025, 2026 Gold Berlin Marathon 2022, 2023, 2024 Gold Chicago Marathon 2023–2024 Gold New York City Marathon 2023 Bronze London Marathon 2023 Silver Boston Marathon 2025 Bronze New York City Marathon 2025

Catherine Debrunner is a Swiss athlete born on April 11, 1995. She is an amazing competitor in para-athletics, specifically in the T53 wheelchair racing category. Catherine has achieved incredible success, including winning five gold medals at the 2024 Paralympics in Paris! One of these gold medals was for the T54 Marathon, showing her versatility.

Since her first marathon win at the 2022 Berlin Marathon, she has won 11 World Marathon Majors events. Catherine has been a part of Team Switzerland since 2008. She has earned many medals at World and European Championships, as well as at the Paralympic Games.

Catherine Debrunner's Early Life and Journey

Catherine Debrunner was born in Mettendorf, Switzerland. She uses a wheelchair because of a birth condition affecting her spine. When she was younger, Catherine attended a sports camp in Nottwil. There, she met Paul Odermatt, who would become her first coach. Since 2021, Arno Mul from the Netherlands has been her coach.

Racing on the Track: Catherine's Achievements

Catherine started her international racing career early. She made her debut at the IWAS World Youth Games in New Jersey in 2008. At this event, she won an impressive five gold medals! She even received an award for being an "Athlete with International Potential."

Her first major international competition as a senior athlete was the 2013 IPC Athletics World Championships in Lyon. Catherine earned her first World Championship medal in 2015. She won a silver medal in the T53 200 metres race.

Catherine also competed at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio. She finished seventh in the Women's 400 metres event. After this, she took a break from sports to focus on her studies.

She returned to Team Switzerland for the 2019 World Para Athletics Championships in Dubai. There, she won a gold medal in the Women's 400m T53 race. She also secured a silver medal in the women's 800m T53 event.

At the 2023 World Para Athletics Championships, Catherine had an outstanding performance. She won four gold medals in the 400m, 800m, 1500m, and 5000m races. She also added a silver medal in the 100m race, finishing just behind Sammi Kinghorn.

In 2025, Catherine continued her winning streak at the 2025 World Para Athletics Championships. She won every event she entered, taking home five gold medals. These victories were in the 100m, 400m, 800m, 1500m, and 5000m races.

Catherine won her first Paralympic medal at the 2020 Tokyo Games. She earned a bronze medal in the Athletics at the 2020 Summer Paralympics – Women's 800 metres T53. Her first Paralympic gold medal came in the Athletics at the 2020 Summer Paralympics – Women's 400 metres T53 event. She beat Samantha Kinghorn and Zhou Hongzhuan to claim the top spot.

At the 2024 Summer Paralympics in Paris, Catherine was truly exceptional. She won five gold medals and one silver medal. This included a gold medal for the T54 Marathon, which she led from start to finish. Madison de Rozario from Australia came in second, and Susannah Scaroni from America won the bronze.

Marathon Master: Catherine's Road Racing Success

When the 2022 World Championships were cancelled, Catherine looked for a new challenge. She decided to focus on marathon racing for the rest of that year. This decision led to incredible success!

At the 2022 Berlin Marathon, Catherine competed in her very first marathon. She won the race with a time of 1:36:47. This victory broke Manuela Schär's amazing streak of five Berlin Marathon wins. Just one week later, Catherine went on to win the 2022 London Marathon as well.

In 2023, Catherine continued to make history. She set a new world record at the 2023 Berlin Marathon with a time of 1:34:16. She also made her debut in the U.S. at the 2023 Chicago Marathon in October. During the Chicago marathon, Catherine set a new course record with a time of 1:38:44. She also won the 2023 New York City Marathon, setting another course record with a time of 1:39:32.

In 2024, she continued her dominance by winning the 2024 London Marathon, the 2024 Berlin Marathon, and the 2024 Chicago Marathon.

In 2025, Catherine won the 2025 Tokyo Marathon and the 2025 London Marathon. She also finished second in the 2025 Boston Marathon, behind Susannah Scaroni.

Catherine won the overall ranking in the World Marathon Majors in both 2023 and 2024. In 2026, Catherine added another major victory by winning the 2026 London Marathon.

Catherine Debrunner currently holds nine World Para Athletics (WPA) world records. On the track, she holds records for the 100m T53, 200m T53, 400m T53, 800m T53, 1500m T53/T54, and 5000m T53/T54. For road races, she holds the world records in the 10k, half marathon, and marathon distances.

Recognized for Excellence: Laureus Award

In May 2023, Catherine Debrunner received a very special honor. She was awarded the Laureus World Sports Award for Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability. This award recognizes athletes who have shown outstanding achievements and inspired others. Catherine was also nominated for this prestigious award in 2025.

Catherine Debrunner's Best Performances

Here are some of Catherine Debrunner's personal best times in her events: