Lightning Bolt Smyth Sets New Record

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Jason Smyth completed a superb sprint double at the Paralympic Games by winning the 200m T13 event in a new world record time.

Starting in lane five, the Eglinton athlete, who has less than 10% vision, led throughout and recorded a time of 21.05 seconds.

Smyth's personal best while competing against able-bodied athletes is 20.94.

"I'll keep pushing myself further - I need to keep moving forward and I know the best is still to come," said Smyth.

The Florida-based runner had won the 100m event for visually-impaired athletes in the T13 category at the Olympic Stadium in London last Saturday.

The 25-year-old retained his 100m title after bursting away from the field to win in a world record time of 10.46 seconds.

Smyth came home ahead of two Russian runners in Friday's 200m race.

Alexey Labzin was second in 21.95 and Artem Loginov third in 22.03.

"Beijing was great, but it's been even better here in London," added the Ireland team member who was winning his country's eighth gold of the Paralympics.

"It is a home Games and it's been a pleasure to be here competing.

"My vision makes it difficult but you just have to learn to get on with it," added Smyth, whose previous Paralympic 200m record was 21.43.

Smyth, visually impaired because of Stargardt's disease, was disappointed not to qualify for the Olympics, with his personal best of 10.22 only .04 seconds outside the 100m 'A' standard.

Smyth's success saw him become the second Irish athlete to secure two gold medals on the track at London 2012.

Belfast competitor Michael McKillop won both the 800m and 1500m classes in his category.

Smyth's profile within Paralympic sport was emphasised as he was presented with his latest gold medal by London 2012 chief Lord Coe.

The sprinter completed his lap of honour holding an Irish flag which read "Jason for double gold" before performing Bolt's trademark "Lightning Bolt" pose on the podium.

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Zanardi Adds More Paralympic Gold

Alex Zanardi won his second Paralympic gold of the London Games with victory in the handcycling road race at Brands Hatch.

The ex-Formula 1 driver, who lost both legs following a crash in 2001, won the H4 handcycling time trial on Wednesday.

And the 45-year-old followed it up with a sprint finish to take the road race ahead of South Africa's Ernst van Dyk and Belgian Wim Decleir.

Zanardi had both legs amputated following a Cart accident in Germany.

"To win this race in this way, in such a dramatic way and sprinting makes me really proud," Zanardi said.

"It shows that I am a complete cyclist, even if I have no legs.

"The race did not go as I expected. I thought that I could take off soon and that I would only need to stay calm, but at the fourth lap I tested my opponents and understood my tactic would not work, so I changed it completely and only tried to save, save and save.

"I managed my energies well. It's been a tough race, I could have very well lost it."

Last year Zanardi won the New York marathon at the fourth attempt and also claimed world time trial silver.

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Jonnie Peacock Wins Over Oscar

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British teenager Jonnie Peacock stormed to victory in the 100 metres final in 10.90 seconds, a new Paralympic record.

The 19-year-old from Cambridge showed no regard for reputations, upstaging South Africa's Oscar Pistorius with a thrilling run.

He came into the Games as the T44 world record holder but inexperienced on the big stage, but proved he can more than handle the big occasion.

Only American Richard Browne could get close to the Briton, claiming silver in 11.03secs.

Pistorius, the defending champion, was never in contention, finishing fourth behind fellow South African and room-mate Arnu Fourie, but was quick to embrace Peacock at the finish.

Chants of 'Peacock, Peacock, Peacock' rang around the stadium before the start, which was delayed when Brazilian Alan Fonteles Oliveira appeared to twitch and the field were asked to stand up.

A faulty rather than a false start was the verdict and the added tension did not affect Peacock, who was able to race off on a lap of honour draped in the Union Flag.

Peacock's victory crowned a golden night for Great Britain, coming minutes after David Weir had continued his relentless pursuit of quadruple gold by making it three out of three with yet another masterful ride, this time to win the 800m title.

Peacock said afterwards: "This Games is definitely a legacy, and to be part of that is amazing.

"I knew this crowd was going to be intense. Dave Weir going minutes before - I knew he'd win, and I knew the crowd would be on a high.

"(But) I didn't think it was going to be that crazy."

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Zanardi Takes Pole at Brands Hatch

Former Formula One driver Alex Zanardi tasted victory of a different kind at Brands Hatch as he took gold in the H4 hand-cycle time-trial.

The 45-year-old Italian's time of 24 minutes 50.22 seconds over the 16km course was enough to beat Germany's Norbert Mosandl.

Zanardi, a former F1 pilot for Minardi and Lotus who also drove in Indy and touring car races, was critically injured and had to have both legs amputated after a horror smash in 2001.

Competed

He battled back into sport, even competing in a touring car race at Brands Hatch in a specially-adapted car with hand controls before turning his attention to hand-cycling, winning the category at the New York Marathon last year.

"Last time I was here I was going about five times faster but I still love this circuit!" Zanardi said.

There was also a hand-cycle gold for Ireland in the H1 category where favourite - and Sky Sports Scholar - Mark Rohan beat Israel's Koby Lion by nearly 12 seconds.

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Pistorius Pipped by Brazilian Oliveira

A month after his groundbreaking Olympic debut, Oscar Pistorius was reeling from a stunning upset Sunday in the London Paralympics.

The "Blade Runner" had never been beaten over 200 meters until Brazilian sprinter Alan Oliveira came storming down the home straight to win by 0.07 seconds and dethrone the icon of the Paralympics.

Pistorius later accused Oliveira of bending the rules.

Having won his own legal battle to compete wearing carbon-fiber blades alongside able-bodied rivals, Pistorius suggested that Oliveira ran with longer prosthetics than should be allowed.

Oliveira won in 21.45 seconds after overtaking Pistorius at the line at Olympic Stadium in front of a capacity 80,000-strong crowd.

"Not taking away from Alan's performance -- he's a great athlete -- but these guys are a lot taller and you can't compete (with the) stride length," Pistorius said in a broadcast interview. "You saw how far he came back. We aren't racing a fair race. I gave it my best. The IPC (International Paralympic Committee) have their regulations. The regulations (allow) that athletes can make themselves unbelievably high.

"We've tried to address the issue with them in the weeks up to this and it's just been falling on deaf ears."

For Pistorius, it is "ridiculous" that Oliveira could win after being eight meters adrift at the 100-meter mark.

"He's never run a 21-second race and I don't think he's a 21-second athlete," Pistorius said. "I've never lost a 200-meter race in my career."

Oliveira insisted he had not broken the rules, and expressed disappointment with Pistorius' criticism.

"He is a really great idol, and to listen to that coming from a really great athlete is really difficult," Oliveira said through a translator. "I don't know who he's picking a fight with, it's not with me."

Oliveira was backed by Paralympic leaders.

"There is a rule in place regarding the length of the blades, which is determined by a formula based on the height and dynamics of the athlete," the IPC said in a statement. "All athletes were measured today prior to competition by a classifier and all were approved for competition."

IPC officials met with Pistorius after the race.

"He wanted to voice his concerns and we listened to those concerns," said IPC spokesman Craig Spence, one of three people to meet with Pistorius. "The IPC will meet with Oscar at a later date to discuss his concerns once the emotion of tonight is out of the way."

The second half of Pistorius' year in London is not running to script.

At the start of last month, the South African reached the 400 semifinals and the 1,600 relay final. Competing at the Olympics was some achievement alone, though the medals were meant to come at the Paralympics.

He was hoping to go one better than the trio of golds he won in Beijing, but can still leave London with the same haul.

Next up is the 400 relay Wednesday before he tries to defends his titles in the 100 on Thursday and 400 on Saturday.

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