Rehm's nomination comes after an incredible performance at the German able-bodied National Championships in Ulm where he jumped an unofficial world record of 8.24 metres in the long jump.

The jump was a huge improvement on his previous world record of 7.95m which he achieved on his way to gold at the 2013 IPC Athletics World Championships in Lyon.

Despite the impressive jump, which placed him first ahead of a number of able-bodied athletes, the German Athletics Federation controversially dropped Rehm from the national team ahead of the European Championships in Zurich, claiming his prosthetic leg gave him an advantage over other athletes.

The German, who lost his leg in a boating accident aged 14, chose not to fight the decision but admitted it was "a pity and disappointing".

"I am not going to take any judicial steps," Rehm said, according to The Associated Press.

"But I will use all possibilities to prove that I got no advantage.

"People should not think that I won only because of the prosthesis.

"That would be an extremely false idea."

London 2012 champion Markus Rehm was cut from the German National team for the European Championships despite being crowned national long jump champion at the German National Championships in Ulm ©Getty Images



Rehm, who won F42/F44 long jump gold at London 2012, received 33.66 per cent of the public vote, narrowly edging Brazil's Leomon Silva who finished second with 32.06 per cent of the vote.

Silva guided his country to gold at the 2014 International Blind Sport Association Goalball World Championships.

Third place went to Australia's Shaun Norris after he helped his side win the 2014 World Wheelchair Basketball Championships in Incheon, South Korea.

Fourth went to Australia's Maddison Elliott after her double-gold at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Great Britain.

Sweden's Jonas Jacobsson, who won his 18th and 19th world titles at the IPC Shooting World Championships in Suhl, Germany, came fifth.

In sixth was Great Britain's Sophie Thornhill who, aged just 18, won double cycling gold at Glasgow 2014.

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