Article courtesy of the New Zealand Olympic Committee.
Three-time Paralympic gold medallist Anna Grimaldi has been chosen to signify the New Zealand Group on the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Video games, her first Commonwealth Video games look.
Grimaldi is the primary athletics athlete named within the New Zealand Group for Glasgow and will compete within the Para athletics Ladies’s 100m T47, with extra athletics athletes set to be confirmed within the coming months.
She stated having her classification included within the Commonwealth Video games for the primary time was an thrilling prospect.
“The Commonwealth Video games has at all times been one thing I’ve wished to expertise. I’ve heard quite a bit concerning the Video games from fellow athletes and I’m trying ahead to getting over to Glasgow and competing,” stated Grimaldi.
The Paris 2024 Paralympic gold medallist stated competing as a part of a completely built-in New Zealand Group was one thing she was trying ahead to.
“There’s one thing actually particular about being a part of a staff the place Para athletes and able-bodied athletes compete collectively. It creates an surroundings the place everyone seems to be pushing for a similar purpose and supporting one another.”
Grimaldi stated her focus now turns to preparation.
“I’m happy with the work that’s obtained me up to now, however there’s nonetheless loads to do. Glasgow is a brand new problem and I’m trying ahead to making ready nicely and representing New Zealand with pleasure.”
New Zealand Olympic Committee (NZOC) Chief Government, Nicki Nicol, welcomed Grimaldi to the Group.
“It’s beautiful to welcome Anna as our first athletics athlete to the New Zealand Group,” Nicol stated.
“Anna embodies what a New Zealand Group surroundings is all about, she competes with pleasure andnsupports these round her. It was nice to see her in Dunedin for our latest King’s Baton Relay week and we’re trying ahead to cheering her on in Glasgow.”
Athletics New Zealand CEO, Cam Mitchell, congratulated Grimaldi on her choice and bolstered that additional athletics bulletins are on the way in which.
“Congratulations to Anna on her choice to the New Zealand Group for Glasgow 2026,” Mitchell stated.
“Anna brings world-class expertise and a confirmed skill to carry out on the most important phases; we’re delighted to have her as our first confirmed athletics athlete.”
“This announcement marks the begin of athletics choices, and we’ll add extra names within the coming months as the athletes proceed to construct in direction of Glasgow 2026,” he stated.
The Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Video games will happen from 23 July to 2 August, with able-bodied and Para athletes competing in the identical Video games.
Anna Grimaldi MNZM Bio
Anna Grimaldi will make her Commonwealth Video games debut at Glasgow 2026, competing within the Para athletics Ladies’s 100m T47.
A 3-time Paralympic gold medallist, Anna Grimaldi is one in all Aotearoa New Zealand’s most cherished and revered Para athletes. Throughout three Paralympic Video games she has persistently carried out on the highest stage, incomes her place among the many nation’s most profitable athletes on the worldwide stage.
Born and raised in Dunedin, Anna developed a ardour for sport at a younger age, regardless of being born with out her proper hand. She performed netball and basketball earlier than Para athletics offered the pathway that will form her sporting profession.
Her journey took a big step ahead in late 2013 when she attended a Paralympics New Zealand Expertise Identification camp in Dunedin. From that time, Anna’s rise by the worldwide ranks gathered momentum.
Anna made her mark at her first World Para Athletics Championships in 2015, claiming a breakthrough bronze medal within the Ladies’s Lengthy Soar T47. The end result positioned her firmly on the worldwide radar.
Her Paralympic dream grew to become actuality on the Rio 2016 Paralympic Video games. Aged simply 19, Anna received gold within the Ladies’s Lengthy Soar T47, leaping to a private finest within the ultimate spherical to safe the title. The efficiency captured the hearts of the nation and Grimaldi was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Benefit within the 2017 New 12 months Honours for her companies to athletics.
Motivated by her success in Rio, Anna dedicated to being a full-time athlete. After overcoming a foot stress fracture, she returned to kind on the 2019 World Para Athletics Championships, the place she received silver within the Ladies’s Lengthy Soar T47.
Throughout the 2021 home season, Anna produced a string of non-public bests, bettering her nationwide lengthy bounce T47 file by 29cm. That kind carried by to the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Video games, the place she efficiently defended her lengthy bounce title.
Main from the opening spherical in Tokyo, Anna set a Paralympic file of 5.74m earlier than extending it to five.76m together with her fourth try, as soon as once more standing on high of the rostrum.
The 2023 World Para Athletics Championships in Paris proved one other defining chapter. Working with new coach Mike Jacobs and arriving early to organize, Anna delivered a standout marketing campaign. She claimed her first international monitor medal with bronze within the Ladies’s 100m T47 after setting an Oceania file within the heats.
In her signature lengthy bounce occasion, she broke her personal nationwide file to win silver with a leap of 5.96m, underlining her power throughout a number of disciplines.
Anna continued her kind on the Kobe 2024 World Para Athletics Championships, including silver within the Lengthy Soar T47 and bronze within the 100m T47 to her rising medal assortment.
Considered one of two flagbearers for the New Zealand Paralympic Group on the Opening Ceremony of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Video games, Anna went on to ship an unforgettable Video games. She set two Oceania data on her approach to bronze within the Ladies’s 100m T47 and narrowly missed the rostrum within the lengthy bounce.
Her Video games led to spectacular style within the Ladies’s 200m T47. Setting Oceania data in each the warmth and ultimate, Anna stormed to gold in a private better of 24.72, bettering her pre-Video games mark by greater than a second.
Anna carried that momentum into the 2025 World Para Athletics Championships in New Delhi, the place she secured bronze within the Ladies’s 200m T47 after lacking a medal within the 100m by one thousandth of a second.
Off the monitor, Anna has balanced elite sport with research, finishing {qualifications} in Amount Surveying and Building Administration by the College of Otago and Open Polytechnic. In 2025, she was recognised on the ISPS Handa Halberg Awards, successful Para Athlete or Para Group of the 12 months.