Malone wins 200m gold in Rio

Liam Malone has won New Zealand's second athletics gold medal at the Rio 2016 Paralympics.

Running in the final of the Men's T43/44 200m, Malone ran a very strong bend to lead into the home straight and held of a determined challenge by Hunter Woodhall (USA) to claim gold.

Malone ran a personal best 21.06 which is also a Paralympic record, erasing the previous record of Oscar Pistorius set at the London 2012 Paralympics. Woodhalls time was 21.12 while Germanys David Behre came in third in 21.41.

The gold is the former Nelson runners second medal at the Games, following his silver in the T43/44 100m two days earlier.

Malone went into the race as favourite, after his 100m medal-winning performance and posting the fastest time in the 200m heats.

His attention now turns to the 400m in which he will be seeking a third medal. The 400m heats are on Thursday morning (New Zealand time).

Earlier in the day at the Olympic Stadium, William Stedman finished fifth in the Mens T36 Long jump in a personal best and New Zealand record 5.35m.

Jacob Phillips, running in his second final of the Games, finished eighth in the T35 200m final in 29.10.

Yesterday, in addition to Malone and Phillips qualifying for their respective 200m finals, Anna Grimaldi placed fourth in the final of the T47 100m final, running 12.96, just missing the bronze medal position by 0.12. Grimaldi had earlier provided New Zealand with the first athletics gold medal of the Games in the T47 Long Jump.

The only Kiwi in action on Wednesday will be New Zealand team flag bearer Holly Robinson, competing in the F46 Javelin final.

- This story has been automatically published using a media release from Athletics New Zealand