Lewis Dominates in Dubai with Season-Opening Brilliance
IslandStats.com
Bermuda Paralympian Jessica Lewis has made a resounding statement at the start of the 2026 para-athletics season, storming to victory in the 100m at the Dubai World Para Athletics Grand Prix.
Competing in the 17th Fazza International Open Championship, the T53 specialist outclassed a combined field of T53 and T54 athletes to secure a dominant gold medal under the lights in Dubai.
Lewis clocked an impressive 16.32 seconds to take the tape, finishing nearly half a second clear of her nearest rival. The performance is particularly significant as it represents one of the fastest season-opening times of her illustrious career.
Despite being one of only two T53 athletes in the final, Lewis’s acceleration allowed her to power past the T54 competitors, showcasing the technical improvements made during a rigorous off-season.
Speaking exclusively with Islandstats.com following the race, Lewis revealed that a significant equipment change had added a layer of nerves to her season debut.
"I’m so happy with the race!" Lewis said. "In the off-season, I switched to using gloves with a groove in them which took about a month of training to get used to, so I was anxious to see how I would do in a race setting."
The transition appears to have been seamless. Lewis credited a pre-competition training camp in Sharjah for helping her adjust to the time zone and fine-tune her "jump off the line".
With the first gold of the year secured, the Bermudian star remains "excited" for the remainder of the Dubai meet as she continues her journey toward the major championships later this year.
T53/54 Women’s 100m Wheelchair Final
1. 53 Jessica Lewis - Bermuda 16.32 2. 53 Hamide Dogangun - Türkiye 16.78 3. 54 Zubeyde Supurgeci - Türkiye 16.74 4. 54 Nandini Sharma - Canada 17.07 5. 54 Aimee Fisher - Australia 18.58 6. 54 Katrin Kohl - Luxembourg 19.79 7. 54 Meera Hassan - United Arab Emirates 23.41
