In continues a fantastic season for the 23-year-old from Bridgend who started out 2011 with a gold medal at the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Athletics World Championships in Christchurch in January and has gone from strength to strength.

He threw a personal best of 39.80m three weeks ago in Stoke Mandeville but went over 40 metres for the first time ever in the Czech Republic with his fifth throw of the competition and praised his coach Anthony Hughes following the victory in the event.

"I really came out to throw 40 metres so Anthony didn't believe me when I told him," said Stephens, who lost both legs when he was run over by a freight train on his ninth birthday in 1997.

"Anthony actually missed it because he couldn't see where it landed and he thought I was lying.

"Obviously we targeted the World title in New Zealand but we wanted to peak at this time too.

"This is when I need to peak for the Paralympic Games in London next year and we wanted to replicate that process so we altered my training."

Stevens will be the favourite for at the London 2012 but admitted he was disappointed that world number two Rostislav Pohlmann of the Czech Republic, who will be his biggest rival for gold at the Paralympics next year, did not attend the event.

"I actually went out a bit angry today because the guy I came out to compete against [Pohlmann] didn't turn up and that was the main reason we came over here," said Stevens.

"I wanted to beat him in his home country.

"In the end it made no difference - the wind was in the right direction and the conditions were perfect, but I know I've still got a lot to give and I can still throw further."

The Welshman finished fourth in the javelin in his first Paralympics at the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games as well as finishing eighth in the shot put and 11th in the discus.

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