Australia's Curtis McGrath, the soldier who lost both his legs in an accident while serving in Afghanistan, has won his first World Para Canoe title in Moscow, and might have broken the world record in the process.
Gold Coast-based McGrath was pushed all the way in the final by Britain's Jonathan Young, eventually crossing the line in 48.596sec - beating his previous PB, set in Wednesday's morning heat, by more than a second.
McGrath's time has to be ratified before it can be determined if he is the new world record holder.
The 25-year-old said after his heat win that the world record was not important to him, but he also knew he was touching distance away from breaking it.
It has been an incredible introduction for McGrath to the sport of canoeing. He only began paddling last December, but quickly proved to be a potential world beater.
And this month marks the second anniversary of McGrath's accident, when he stepped on a bomb in Afghanistan and had both his legs blown off.
His win on Wednesday confirms his favouritism for gold at the Rio Paralympics in 2016, the first time para canoe will be at the Games.
McGrath's preparations for the Moscow world titles had been hamstrung by an airline bungle where his specially designed "paddling legs" failed to arrive with him in Russia.
"It's been a bit of an adventure, or my legs have been on a bit of an adventure without me," McGrath said.
"But they got here eventually, just in time for racing."
McGrath is one of six Australian para-canoe paddlers, among a 24-strong national team, competing on the first day of the event.
Olympic K4 champions Murray Stewart, Tate Smith, Jake Clear and Dave Smith boast strongest claims for Aussie world title success when they begin their campaign on Friday.
Stewart, who has beaten 2008 Olympic gold medallist Ken Wallace to the K1 1000 berth, is also strongly in the mix for a solo title after finishing second to German Max Hoff in the most recent World Cup event in Hungary.
Wallace has switched to the K2 boat, in which he'll team up with youngster Lachlan Tame.
"Tame's speed and Wallace's renowned finish could be a lethal cocktail that will ruffle the fancied European feathers," said national performance director Richard Fox.
Canoeing Australia also has high hopes for the new women's K2 combination of Jo Brigden-Jones and ironwoman Naomi Flood.
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