Cockroft agonisingly close to breaking her own world record in first 200m of the season

Five-time Paralympic champion Hannah Cockroft was just 0.11s away from breaking her own T34 200m world record as she cruised to victory at the World Para Athletics Grand Prix in Switzerland.

Cockroft was competing in her first 200m race of the season in Nottwil and came incredibly close to breaking her own world record which she also set in Switzerland back in 2015.

The 26-year-old finished in 30.62 seconds, well ahead of the rest of the field, as Belgium’s Joyce Lefevre came home second in 34.61 and Dutch racer Amy Siemons finished third in 35.25.

And victory in the 200m was just a prequel to her performance in the 800m as the 10-time world champion blew the rest of the field away to make it two from two on the day.

The Yorkshire-born sprinter powered to victory in 2.01.46, leaving Russia’s Veronika Doronia and Joyce in her wake as she finished almost 20 seconds ahead of her competitors.

Cockroft will aim to make it a clean sweep in Switzerland when she takes to the track for the 100m and 400m.

“I am really happy with that 200m for a season’s first and the first I have done in a while, actually,” said Cockroft.

“To be that close [to a world record] is frustrating but I hit some good speeds and I know that I am pushing well and pushing fast, and my start was good – so that is the main bit for me.”