Chinese para athlete Shi Yiting defended her world title by triumphing in the women's 100m T36 final with a new world record at the Para Athletics World Championships on Sunday.

The 26-year-old sprinter clocked 13.35 seconds at the Universiade Memorial Stadium in the central Japanese port city of Kobe, marking her fourth straight world championships gold of the event.

New Zealand's Danielle Aitchison, the previous world record holder, took the silver with 13.48, as Veronica Hipolito of Brazil finished third in 14.35.

After the tightly contested race, Shi told Xinhua that she was surprised by the results. "I didn't expect to break the world record as I have been suffering injuries recently, but I was motivated by my strong opponent on the tracks," said the sprinter, adding that she would aim even higher for the upcoming Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.

The Kobe Para Athletics World Championships, held in East Asia for the first time, serve as a crucial qualifier for the Paris Paralympics. The championships have attracted over 1,000 athletes from 100 countries and regions competing in 168 events.

A total of 73 Chinese para-athletes are competing in the championships, which run until May 25. Originally scheduled for 2021, the event was postponed twice due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

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