The Otago sprinter clocked a time of 12.41sec in her women's 100m T47 heat at the World Para Athletics Championships to qualify for the final.
Grimaldi was the fourth-fastest qualifier and finished second in her heat, behind Brazil's Maria Clara Augusto Da Silva, who ran 12.33sec.
She has a personal best of 12.20sec, which she ran as she claimed bronze at last year's Paris Olympics.
Grimaldi also claimed bronze in event at each of the past two world championships.
The reigning 200m Paralympic champion, and former two-time long jump Paralympic champion, Grimaldi will race her final at 12.06am tonight (NZT).
Adams wins gold
Lisa Adams has given New Zealand a shot put gold medal, with her opponents unable to get near her huge opening throw this morning.
Adams threw 13.83m in the shot put F37 final.
Although she had two foul throws after that, her rivals could not match her opening effort.
Her gold medal was New Zealand's first at these championships.
Adams, 34, has been a dominant performer in the shot put. She holds both the championship record (14.80m) and the world record (15.50m).
She won world titles in 2019 and 2023, and a Paralympic gold in Tokyo 2020.
Adams, who has left hemiplegia, a form of cerebral palsy, began her athletics career in 2018 and made a quick impact, winning gold at the world champs in Dubai just 18 months later with her world record mark of 14.8m.
She decided to retire from the sport early last year, but has returned with a vengeance.
Russian Irina Vertinskaia, who is competing at the championships as a neutral athlete, secured silver with a best throw of 12.95m, while Na Mi was third with 12.28m.
Meanwhile fellow Kiwi Will Stedman cruised into the final of the men's 400m T36, winning his heat in a time of 55.16sec, 1.65sec faster than his closest rival.
- Allied Media/RNZ
