The 24-year-old "Blade Runner" dominated from start to finish, crossing the line at the QEII Stadium in 21.80sec to retain the crown he won at the last World Championships in the Netherlands in 2006.

His close rival Jerome Singleton of the United States claimed silver in 22.77, knocking more than half a second off his personal best, but is likely to be far more of a threat to Pistorius in Wednesday's 100m final.

Pistorius' compatriot Arnu Fourie collected bronze in 22.82.

Pistorius told insideworldparasport: "I'm delighted with how I performed today and to pick up the gold medal in probably the strongest 200m field ever assembled.

"My time for this part of the year it is a pretty good too.

"I know I will have to be at my best again in the 100m because Jerome will be a much bigger threat."

Pistorius' victory marked a high quality day three at the World Championship where ten world records fell.

In the 200m T46 final, Antonis Aresti of Cyprus won gold in 22.25 but was upstaged as silver medallist Yohansson Nascimento of Brazil as the T45 athlete set a world record of 22.35 in his class.

Bronze went to Australia's Simon Patmore in 22.43.

In the field Russia's Alexy Kuznetsov set a world record of 29.44 metres in winning the men's Javelin F54/55/56.

Silver went to Serbia's Drazenko Mitrovic in 26.45m whilst Mexico's Luis Alberto Zepeda Felix claimed bronze in 25.27m.

Latvia's Aigars Apinis also set a world record on his way to gold in the men's shot put in 10.03m.

Mexico's Mauro Maximo De Jesus took silver with 8.31m and Ales Kisy of the Czech Republic the bronze with 8.25.

Greek athlete Paschalis Stathelakos was another world record breaker in the men's discus F40 as he threw 40.92m putting him ahead of the previous world record holder and silver medallist Jonathan de Souza Santos of Brazil, whose best effort was 39.31m.

Bronze went to USA's Scott Danberg in 36.18m.

In the final of women's 4x100m relay F35-38 Ukraine took gold in a world record time of 55.07.

Russia took silver in 55.70 as Britain won the bronze in 58.33.

In the afternoon, Algeria's Lahouari Bahlaz (pictured) claimed a world record of 20.30m in the F32/33/34 discus as he finished of Frantisek Serbus of Czech Republic in 20.19m and Jalal Khakzadieh of Iran in 39.44 in his disability class.

In the women's javelin F13 final, Tanja Dragic of Serbia claimed a world record of 36.74m.

Tatiana De Tovar Bricen of Venezuela earned silver in 34.58 and Jessica Gallagher of Australia took bronze in 33.75 while in the women's 100 metres T11, heats Terezinha Guilhermina of Brazil claimed a world record of 12.13.

In the men's 100m T37, Egypt;s Mostafa Fathalla Mohamed set a world record of 11.61.

South Africa's Fanie Van Der Merwe picked up silver in 11.69 and Algeria's Sofiane Hamdi scooped the bronze in 11.86

It brought to 28 the total number of world records set at the Championships so far.

Meanwhile, in the men's 100m T13 Russia's Alexey Labzin took advantage of the absence of world record holder Jason Smyth of Ireland, missing through injury, to win gold in 11.09.

South Africa's Ndodomzi Jonathan Ntutu took silver in 11.11 and Greece's Ioannis Protos the bronze in 11.25.

Contact the writer of this stroy at [email protected]


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