KUALA LUMPUR: Shot putter Ziyad Zolkefli set a new world record in winning a gold medal at the World Para Athletics Championships in London on Saturday.
Ziyad, 27, improved on the record of 16.84 metres he set in securing a Paralympic gold medal in Rio De Janeiro last year with a throw of 17.29m in the F20 category for athletes with an intellectual impairment.
He finished ahead of Ecuador's Stalin Mosquera and defending champion Todd Hodgetts of Australia, who registered throws of 16.72m and 15.96m respectively.
Ziyad, who won bronze at the last championships in 2015, effectively had victory sealed with his first attempt when he crossed the 17-metre mark for only time in six throws.
His achievement makes him a favourite to win the shot put gold at the Kuala Lumpur Sea Games next month when he competes against able-bodied athletes.
Malaysia's two other Rio Paralympic gold medallists, 100m sprinter Ridzuan Puzi and long jumper Abdul Latif Romly, get their campaign underway today.