IPC World Athletics: Markus Rehm sets new long jump world record

Markus Rehm set a new long jump world record of 8.40m to win gold in Doha

German leg amputee Markus Rehm broke his own long jump world record to win gold at the IPC Athletics World Championships in Doha - a leap that would also have won 2012 Olympic gold.

The 27-year-old, who had his leg amputated below the knee after a wakeboarding accident, jumped 8.40m to break his previous best by 11cm.

Briton Greg Rutherford took Olympic gold in 2012 with a jump of 8.31.

Britain's team captain Paul Blake, 25, won silver in the T36 400m on Friday.

After his record-breaking leap, Rehm told BBC Sport: "To jump 8.40 is incredible."

Rehm wants the chance to appear at next year's Olympics in Rio but athletics's governing body, the IAAF, has yet to confirm whether he can compete.

The reigning Paralympic champion won last year's German National Championships, but was prevented from competing at the European Championships in Zurich because of concerns over whether his carbon fibre prosthetic gives him an unfair advantage.

The German Athletics Federation said then they had doubts over whether jumps with a prosthetic limb could be compared to those using a natural joint, while experts have questioned whether the blade gives Rehm an advantage when he plants it down at the point of take-off.

But Rehm, who was inundated for interviews after his victory in Doha, wants the opportunity to compete on a bigger stage.

Britain's Paul Blake was the T36 400m world champion in 2011 and he is the current 800m champion

"It is a shame that the IAAF just see the problems and reduce an athlete to the prosthesis," he said. "They don't see the chance we have to bring Paralympic and Olympic sport closer and to show our sport to more people.

"I hope in the future I will have a chance to discuss how we can do this. I think it is a good chance for a great advert for the sport and I want to show people there are great athletes here."

Britain's Blake, meanwhile, won silver after finishing second to Russian Yevgeny Shvetcov in the T36 400m.

"It was a tough race but Shvetcov was stronger on the day," Blake, 25, said afterwards.

"I ran as well as I could have done on the day. Maybe I could have gone off a bit quicker but if I had done that, I could have tired earlier. But this silver gives me a lot of confidence for the 800m, which is my favourite event."

There was a five-man crash in heat three of the T54 1500m, but Saturday's final will take place as scheduled

Six-time Paralympic champion David Weir returned to the track in a GB vest for the first time since London 2012 and finished second in the opening heat to safely book his place in the T54 1500m final.

Meanwhile, British teenager Maria Lyle reached the T35 200m final, but saw fellow teenager Isis Holt of Australia set a new world record of 28.55 seconds in the event.