China's para runner Wen lowers world record in women's 200m T37

KOBE, Japan, May 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese para-athlete Wen Xiaoyan lowered her own world record by winning the women's 200m T37 final at the Para Athletics World Championships here on Saturday.

The 26-year-old sprinted across the finish line in 25.75 seconds at the Universiade Memorial Stadium in Kobe, smashing the previous peak of 26.18 seconds set by herself in Hangzhou, just days after she refreshed the women's 100m T37 world record.

Wen, retaining her world championship title in the women's long jump T37, has bagged four gold medals in short-distance races, universal relay and long jump during the nine-day tournament.

Noting that her record-breaking run was within expectations, Wen told Xinhua she felt she could have done better.

Asked about the trick of breaking two world records in this tournament, Wen, with a huge smile on her face, said: "The secret lies in non-stop accumulation, scientific and systematic training, a lot of brainwork, and the spirit to overcome difficulties."

The top para-athlete added that she would step up efforts in training her performance on the curve in the near future.

Taylor Swanson of the United States and China's Jiang Fenfen finished second and third with personal bests of 26.89 seconds and 27.02 seconds in the race for athletes with coordination impairments.

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 concluding on Saturday. Originally scheduled for 2021, the event was postponed twice due to the COVID-19 pandemic.