Tearful Cockroft enjoys golden moment at World Para Championships

Five-time Paralympic champion Cockroft won the women’s T34 400 metres for her third title at the 2017 championships while Hermitage triumphed in the T37 400m in a world record time of one minute and 0.29 seconds.

Cockroft has already won the T34 100m - in a world record time - and T34 800m and has never lost a race at a major championships.

Cockroft said: “I’m feeling really emotional. I even had a little cry. I was confident until yesterday when I got full of cold. When I came to the start line I felt like I had nothing to put into the race.

“All the way round I was thinking ‘I can hear the girls coming. I’m not going fast enough, I’m not going fast enough.’ So to get that result when I was feeling like this is such a relief.

“This is my 10th world title but that hasn’t really sunk in yet. I’m so used to taking each race as it comes. Every time I put on this top it’s still a massive honour to come and represent Britain and British Athletics.

“But I’m not finished yet. My motivation was out there, those two young girls right at my back. They are the reason I train.

“I want to prove I can still go fast. I just want to keep going out there. I want to prove I can keep going a little while longer.”

Hermitage defended her world title after winning in Doha two years ago and added to her T37 100m Rio gold from last year’s Paralympics.

She said: “I am so relieved. That feels like a really long straight out there and I was totally spent by the end. I wasn’t sure at all about the time so was very surprised to see it was a world record.

“It’s so unbelievable, it’s been such a difficult time for me this season so I just decided to go out there and give it my best shot.

“It just shows that with the right training and support you can improve. I knew I had to go out hard and felt I did that. I was back on the track for my first race of the championships and I just went in to autopilot.

“I’ve been under a lot of pressure as everyone has been coming back to the team and they’ve been doing so well. We’ve had lots of success and I just wanted to be part of that but I wasn’t sure how it would go for me.

“The main feeling is relief but I also feel so happy to have won and can’t believe it was in a world record time.”

Great Britain’s Kare Adenegan,16, also claimed bronze behind Cockroft in the T34 400m.

“This is a huge experience for me,” she said. “I’ve learned so much about tactics, I just need to work on my strength and come back fitter and better. I can go home now and enjoy the school holidays and have a nice break.”

Richard Chiassaro also took bronze in the men’s T45 400m but Zac Shaw missed out on the final of the T12 200 metres after finishing second in his heat in 22.93 seconds and Rhys Jones finished fifth in the men’s T37 100 metres.