IRELAND’S PARALYMPIC CHAMPION Michael McKillop has carried his form into this week’s IPC World Championships in Lyon.
McKillop claimed gold in his T37 800 metre race on Sunday and this afternoon completed the double with a new championship record of 4;10.17 in the 1500 metres.
The Antrim man kept a steady rhythm throughout, staying within the pack in the opening laps. But with two laps to go, the favourite pulled clear and opened up a large gap with only Tunisia’s Abbes Saidi in pursuit.
Comfortable throughout, McKillop crossed the line well short of his own world record time in the event, but the new Championship record will be a great fillip as it is his first World Championship gold over this distance.
Saidi held on to claim silver 2.61 seconds after McKillop and Australia’s Deon Kenzie set a new personal best to take bronze.
Earlier today, Jason Smyth cruised into his T13 100 metre final by setting a new championship record of 10.72 seconds. Having claimed 200 metre gold on Sunday, the Paralympic champion will hope to emulate his room-mate McKillop and complete the double again in tomorrow’s final.
