China's para athlete Wen breaks women's 100m T37 world record

KOBE, Japan, May 21 (Xinhua) -- Chinese para-athlete Wen Xiaoyan set a new world record by winning the women's 100m T37 final at the Para Athletics World Championships on Tuesday.

The 27-year-old sprinter crossed the finish line in 12.27 seconds at the Universiade Memorial Stadium in Kobe, securing another gold after retaining her world championship title in the women's long jump T37 final.

"Today I started with the starting block. I always believe there is room for breakthroughs, so this year I began to use the starting block in training. This bold attempt worked well actually," Wen told Xinhua when reflecting on her record-breaking performance.

"I love sports and I love running," said Wen, adding that she aims for more breakthroughs and is delighted that running races give her the platform to keep outrunning herself.

Taylor Swanson of the United States took the silver with a personal best of 12.86 seconds, while China's Jiang Fenfen finished third in 13.26 seconds, her season best.

The Kobe Para Athletics World Championships, held in East Asia for the first time, serve as a crucial qualifier for the Paris Paralympics. The championships have attracted over 1,000 athletes from 100 countries and regions competing in 168 events.

A total of 73 Chinese para-athletes are competing in the championships, which run until May 25. Originally scheduled for 2021, the event was postponed twice due to the COVID-19 pandemic.