Anna Grimaldi will make her Commonwealth Games debut at Glasgow 2026, competing in the Para athletics Women’s 100m T47.

A three-time Paralympic gold medallist, Anna Grimaldi is one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s most loved and respected Para athletes. Across three Paralympic Games she has consistently performed at the highest level, earning her place among the country’s most successful athletes on the global stage.

Born and raised in Dunedin, Anna developed a passion for sport at a young age, despite being born without her right hand. She played netball and basketball before Para athletics provided the pathway that would shape her sporting career.

Her journey took a significant step forward in late 2013 when she attended a Paralympics New Zealand Talent Identification camp in Dunedin. From that point, Anna’s rise through the international ranks gathered momentum.

Anna made her mark at her first World Para Athletics Championships in 2015, claiming a breakthrough bronze medal in the Women’s Long Jump T47. The result placed her firmly on the international radar.

Her Paralympic dream became reality at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games. Aged just 19, Anna won gold in the Women’s Long Jump T47, leaping to a personal best in the final round to secure the title. The performance captured the hearts of the nation and Grimaldi was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2017 New Year Honours for her services to athletics.

Motivated by her success in Rio, Anna committed to being a full-time athlete. After overcoming a foot stress fracture, she returned to form at the 2019 World Para Athletics Championships, where she won silver in the Women’s Long Jump T47.

During the 2021 domestic season, Anna produced a string of personal bests, improving her national long jump T47 record by 29cm. That form carried through to the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, where she successfully defended her long jump title.

Leading from the opening round in Tokyo, Anna set a Paralympic record of 5.74m before extending it to 5.76m with her fourth attempt, once again standing on top of the podium.

The 2023 World Para Athletics Championships in Paris proved another defining chapter. Working with new coach Mike Jacobs and arriving early to prepare, Anna delivered a standout campaign. She claimed her first global track medal with bronze in the Women’s 100m T47 after setting an Oceania record in the heats.

In her signature long jump event, she broke her own national record to win silver with a leap of 5.96m, underlining her strength across multiple disciplines.

Anna continued her form at the Kobe 2024 World Para Athletics Championships, adding silver in the Long Jump T47 and bronze in the 100m T47 to her growing medal collection.

One of two flagbearers for the New Zealand Paralympic Team at the Opening Ceremony of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, Anna went on to deliver an unforgettable Games. She set two Oceania records on her way to bronze in the Women’s 100m T47 and narrowly missed the podium in the long jump.

Her Games ended in spectacular fashion in the Women’s 200m T47. Setting Oceania records in both the heat and final, Anna stormed to gold in a personal best of 24.72, improving her pre-Games mark by more than a second.

Anna carried that momentum into the 2025 World Para Athletics Championships in New Delhi, where she secured bronze in the Women’s 200m T47 after missing a medal in the 100m by one thousandth of a second.

Off the track, Anna has balanced elite sport with study, completing qualifications in Quantity Surveying and Construction Management through the University of Otago and Open Polytechnic. In 2025, she was recognised at the ISPS Handa Halberg Awards, winning Para Athlete or Para Team of the Year.

Anna Grimaldi

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Biography

Fast facts

Anna Grimaldi embracing a dream once thought impossible