Leeper was the outstanding male athlete in the US last month, breaking national records in the 100 metres, 200m and 400m events with times of 11.31sec, 21.98 and 51.97 respectively.

The 23-year-old was born without lower legs, forcing him to use prosthetics since childhood.

A keen basketball and baseball player, Leeper first ran in June 2009 and impressed so much that he made it into the US Paralympic team.

Later that year he took part in the Endeavour Games, winning gold in the 100m, 200m and 400m – all in the same afternoon.

Leeper also went to last year's International Paralympic Committee (IPC) World Athletics Championships in Christchurch, though he failed to bring back a medal.

He has been training at the Olympic training centre in Chula Vista, California, and hopes to gain a place on the US Paralympic team this summer.

He will face tough competition though from double Paralympic gold medallist Marlon Shirley and Beijing 2008 gold medallist Jerome Singleton.

Should Leeper earn a place for London 2012, he have the opporunity to take on South Africa's multiple gold medal winning Paralympic legend Oscar Pistorius.

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