Double world champion Angela Ballard earned three golds on the opening day of the IPC Athletics Grand Prix in Canberra ©Getty Images

Double world champion Angela Ballard delighted the home crowd at the opening International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Athletics Grand Prix event of the season as she secured three gold medals on the first day in Canberra.

Ballard, who won the T53 200 metres and 400m races at the IPC Athletics World Championships in Doha in October, began strongly as she clocked 16.89sec to clinch gold in the 100m.

She crossed the line ahead of compatriot Rosemary Little, who was second in 18.88.

The 33-year-old then went on to reign supreme in the 400m as she ousted training partner and compatriot Madison de Rozario by finishing in 55.04, with Little securing another medal as she earned bronze.

The final track event of the day, the 1,500m, gave Ballard the chance to seal a superb hat-trick and she duly obliged, clocking 3min 36.20sec to again beat De Rozario.

Jemima Moore, also of Australia, claimed bronze.

"It’s just good to get some good racing done on a fast track, and to come away with a few wins is a good thing too," Ballard, who is based in Sydney, said.

"It’s awesome to know that I am faster this year than at the same time in 2015.

"I broke two world records last year off a slower preparation so that’s exciting - if this is an indication of how the Paralympic year will go it is a great place to be."

Australia's Isis Holt justified her status as world champion by winning the T35 100m race
Australia's Isis Holt justified her status as world champion by winning the T35 100m race ©Getty Images

The Australian success continued as double world champion Isis Holt took the women’s T35 100m honours, beating compatriot Ella Pardy with a time of 13.64, just one hundredth of a second outside of the world record she set at the recent World Championships.

Pardy also finished with one gold medal to her name as she claimed victory in the T38 event over the same distance in 13.36.

Three-time Paralympic champion Kurt Fearnley, who was recently named as one of the captains for the Australian team at Rio 2016, clocked 3:07.53 to win the men’s T54 1,500m, with team-mates Jake Lappin and Richard Nicholson clinching silver and bronze respectively.

Nicholson had earlier got the better of Fearnley over 400m, crossing the line in 49.97 to take gold, while talented teenager Rheed McCracken came through to seal bronze.

Elsewhere, world long jump champion and Paralympic silver medallist Atsushi Yamamoto of Japan continued his impressive run of form in the T42 competition as he leapt 6.36m to secure victory, with Brayden Davidson bagging silver.

Davidson’s jump of 5.44m was the same he posted to win bronze at October’s World Championships.

Singaporean Suhairi Suhani did enough to ensure he finished in the top three as he secured bronze.

Action in Canberra continues tomorrow.