Wheelchair Racer Catherine Debrunner Breaks Her Own World Record, Sets New Mark in the 200 Meters (T53) at the World Para Athletics Grand Prix (Switzerland)
TOKYO, Japan, May 27, 2026 – (JCN Newswire) – Honda Motor Co., Ltd. today announced that wheelchair racer Catherine Debrunner, supported with Honda racing wheelchairs, shaved 1.03 seconds off her previous world record to set a new world record time of 26.44 in the Women’s 200m T53 at the 2026 World Para Athletics Grand Prix (Switzerland) held in Nottwil, Switzerland from May 21 through 23, 2026.
The World Para Athletics Grand Prix is one of the international para athletics competition　series held annually in Switzerland, regarded as a high-level competition that attracts the world’s top athletes.
Debrunner currently holds the world record in all nine women’s T53 class events — including the 100m, 400m, 800m, 1500m, 5000m and Marathon which have been her main focus — yet she continues to take on new challenges, aiming for new heights in all events.Identifying with her unwavering commitment to taking on challenges, Honda has been supporting her since 2023.
Based on the Honda vision for its sports activities – “To increase the number of people who take on challenges through sports activities and make the lives of people more enjoyable everywhere in the world” – Honda will continue to support various athletes who take on challenges toward the realization of their own dreams.
Comments by Catherine Debrunner
“The field of athletes was big, strong and very international. It was fun to battle against the best athletes in the world. With a massive World Record in the 200m as a cherry on the top the Para Athletics could definitely not have been any better.It is important to emphasise that I would never have achieved this success without a huge team around me – my team, my supporters and sponsors but also my loved ones. Thank you so much to everyone who supports me on this journey!”
Catherine Debrunner profile
| Date of birth: | April 11, 1995 |
| Nationality: | Switzerland |
| Start of Honda sponsorship: | December 2023 |
| Sport class: | T53 |
| Sport: | Wheelchair racing (100m, 400m, 800m, 1500m, 5000m, marathon) |
Honda and Wheelchair Athletics
In the spirit of “Respect for the Individual,” one of the company’s Fundamental Beliefs, Honda has been striving to offer the joy and freedom of mobility to all customers around the world and contribute to their efforts to realize their dreams. As a part of this initiative, Honda has been conducting research and development of racing wheelchairs since 2000. In addition to providing them to the wheelchair athletes Honda supports, Honda has made its racing wheelchairs available for sale to any customers since 2019.
Moreover, to further advance and popularize wheelchair sports, Honda has gone beyond the enhancement of product performance and developed a “Push Power Measurement System” to provide technological support that will enhance the abilities of wheelchair athletes. The system has been available for lease since November 2025*.
Through these activities, Honda will contribute to the further recognition of wheelchair athletics and the popularization and advancement of parasports.
*Honda Push Power Measurement System is available for lease through Honda Sun Co., Ltd., a special subsidiary of Honda.
KAKERU – Honda Racing Wheelchair Push Power Measurement Wheel System
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