Para Athletics World Championships: Ben Sandilands wins T20 1500m gold

Sandilands has competed with Fife AC since he was a youngster

Scottish teenager Ben Sandilands produced a devastating late burst to claim T20 1500m gold at the Para Athletics World Championships in Paris.

The Fife AC athlete moved up from fifth over the final 250m to challenge leader Mikey Brannigan of the United States.

The 19-year-old accelerated past the Rio Paralympic gold medallist at the bend to win in a new championship record of three minutes 52.42 seconds.

"I came in thinking I could win a medal and I did," he told BBC Sport.

Sandilands was making his Great Britain debut in the race for athletes with intellectual impairments alongside training partners Owen Miller, the Paralympic champion, and Steven Bryce - with the trio all trained by Steve Doig.

Both Miller and Sandilands were well placed at the bell but Brannigan moved clear and looked to be on course for his third world title after his wins in 2015 and 2017.

However, Sandilands' closing speed proved crucial as he finished clear of the American (3:53.50) with Portugal's Sandro Baessa third (3:54.04). Miller and Bryce were seventh and 13th respectively.

It brings GB's gold medal tally to nine, with the competition scheduled to finish on Monday evening.

"It feels amazing," Sandilands added.

"There was a lot of bumping and pushing, which made it hard to keep my rhythm - but I always knew I had that speed at the end of the race.

"A lot of hard work has gone into getting here and we all encourage each other and push each other on, but I am exhausted now."

Long jumper Zak Skinner put aside his Tokyo heartbreak to claim bronze - his first global medal at his third World Championships.

Skinner, who is visually impaired, missed out on T13 Paralympic bronze two years ago when he was overtaken in the final round but this time made no mistake with a best jump of 6.97m.

American Isaac John-Paul won gold (7.06m) with Japan's Ryota Fukunaga (7.03m) taking silver.

"I tore my hamstring for the fifth time in February and was told mychampionship hopes were over, but I wouldn't take that for an answer," said the 24-year-old, whose father is former Harlequins and England rugby flanker Mickey Skinner.

"Since then myself and my team have put in a lot of hard work so to have come back here, jumped what I did and win my first world medal, I couldn't have asked for more. I'm ecstatic.

"Tokyo was heartbreaking and it took a long time for it to sink in but this time I wasn't going to let the same thing happen. I never felt safe until the medal was secured but I also knew I could respond to anything my rivals did."

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