Wheelchair champion Weir breaks three-minute mile mark

LONDON (Reuters) - Briton's Paralympic champion David Weir became the first wheelchair athlete to complete a mile in under three minutes on Sunday.

(Reuters)

The six-times London Marathon winner raced to a record of two minutes 57 seconds -- breaking his own previous best by six seconds -- in the Westminster Mile event in London.

"I've always said I could do it," said Weir, adding that he had completed 'the perfect race' ahead of second-placed South African Ernst van Dyk at the finish line in front of Buckingham Palace.

Weir also won the event in 2013, 2014 and 2015.

(Reporting by Neil Robinson; editing by Clare Fallon)