Hannah Cockroft reigns supreme with world title No 12

Hannah Cockroft (right - 1st) and Kare Adenegan (left - 2nd) of Great Britain celebrate finishing first and second in the Women's 800m T34 during Day Eight of the IPC World Para Athletics Championships 2019 Dubai.

Hannah Cockroft's status as the queen of the track remains intact after she successfully defended her world title in the T34 800m in Dubai on Thursday.

The 27-year-old from Halifax won her second world title of the IPC World Championships and 12th overall to further enhance her reputation in para-athletics.

The five-time Paralympic champion did not have it all her own way in the 800m, though.

Catch me if you can: Hannah Cockroft races towards another T34 800m world title.

Fellow Briton Kare Adenegan, the European T34 100m champion who Cockroft beat over the shorter distance on Monday, hit the front on the opening lap.

American Alexa Halko moving away with the British duo. However, on the back straight, she sensed her moment and did not hesitate as she pushed on from her rivals, surging to the finish line in a championship record of 1:57.27.

Cockroft, who now has three T34 800m world titles to her name, said: “I actually found the race a lot more comfortable than I thought I might. Sometimes you come to a championship feeling like you are focusing on one of your events more than others.

"This time I didn't feel like I was focused on either, so I wasn't sure how they were going to go. The 800m is such a game. It is so tactical, and it is all about playing off the other girls’ strengths.

“I thought, I don't want to leave this until 100m to go, I knew Kare or Alexa could do anything then. I just needed to get out of a sticky place. My favourite event in the 400m so I knew I could hold the speed a little longer.

“World title number 12 is good, but number 11 was better. I am just happy to be done. It has been such a long season.”