By James Crook

151285221May 11 - London 2012 Paralympic gold medallist Martina Caironi smashed both the 100 metre and 200 metre T42 world records on home turf at the fourth International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Athletics Grand Prix of the year in the Tuscan city of Grosseto.

The 23-year-old Italian shaved 0.16sec off the T42 100m world record time that she set as she took gold at last summer's Games in 15.71sec, before taking almost three seconds off the 200m world record formerly held by Australian rival Kelly Cartwright, finishing in 33.13 seconds.

British wheelchair racers Hannah Cockroft and Mel Nicholls also impressed in Italy, as Nicholls broke a 1500m T34 world record that has stood for a decade by over four seconds in a time of 4min 12.56sec, whilst double Paralympic champion Cockroft set the fastest times in the T34 100m, 200m, 400m and 800m events, timing 18.16, 31.86, 62.49 and 2:04.49 respectively.

151361759Britain's Hannah Cockroft kept up her impressive form this year, setting the fastest times in four events

"It is an amazing feeling to break a world record, it hasn't quite sunk in yet.," said Nicholls.

"As a distance I have only ever raced once before [in Birmingham], I hope it is a sign of my continuing improvement of form over all my distances and for the future."

More than 330 athletes from 30 countries competed in Grosseto, and the athletes are now preparing to move on to Mesa, Arizona, for the Desert Challenge Games, the fifth and penultimate IPC Grand Prix event of the year, which takes place next Saturday (May 18).

Berlin will hold the final Grand Prix event next month, before the series reaches a climax at the Grand Prix Final at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham on Saturday June 29, which British Paralympic icon David Weir is expected to compete at.

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