The 20-year-old from Edinburgh, who took silver in the same event at the Beijing 2008 Paralympics, got out of the blocks slowly at the QEII Stadium but produced a blistering second half of the race to claim the world championship crown in 12.73sec.

Hanka Kolnikova of Slovakia claimed silver just behind Clegg in 12.75 while Eva Ngui of Spain took bronze in 12.96.

A delighted Clegg told insideworldparasport: "I'm really, really happy.

"Winning and becoming a world champion is such a tremendous feeling.

"I was down at the start obviously but I just kept pushing until the line and it was brilliant to get that gold.

"The big thing for me is to keeping working hard up until London 2012 so I can repeat there what I have done here."

The victory marked another great a day for Britain where as well as Clegg's gold, the team secured three bronze medals.

Sophie Warner, the 36-year-old from Surrey, secured her third place in the women's 100m T35 race in a time of 17.71 to finish behind gold medallist Lui Ping of China and silver medallist Rachael Dodds of Australia while in the women's 200m T44 race Stephanie Reid, who picked up the bronze in yesterday's F44/46 long jump final, claimed another podium finish.

The 26-year-old Reid, who was actually born in New Zealand but competes for Britain by virtue of her parents, said: "This is such a great feeling as this isn't my strongest event by a mile.

"I thought I was going to collapse on the line but I kept pushing and I'm delighted."

Britain's other medal came in the field as three-time world champion Stephen Miller secured a last gasp bronze medal with his final round effort in this morning's F31/32/51 club throw as recorded a distance of 31.25 metres with his sixth and final throw.

He finished behind Lahouari Bahlaz of Algeria (pictured), who threw a world record of 36.73m, and Radim Beles of the Czech Republic who picked up silver in 25.22 in his disability class.

"What a competition," said the 30-year-old from Gateshead.

"I didn't throw well so I really had to pull it out on the last throw.

"I know I'm a lot better than that but the worst case scenario would have been to go home with nothing so to take bronze is amazing.

"I definitely need to work on my consistency.

"I didn't do myself justice and I have to do better than that in London."

Back on the track, Shelly Woods and Jade Jones finished fifth and eighth respectively in a fast T54 800m final won by the United States' Beijing silver medallist Tatyana McFadden in a Championship record of 1min 51.10sec.

Woods finished in 1:55.97 while Jones recorded 2:00.91.

"I wanted to make sure I took something from the race and I did," said Woods, the 24-year-old from Blackpool.

"I tried to work on my start a little bit and I kind of know what I now need to do for the 1500m."

Middlesbrough's 15-year-old Jones took to the track again on day four in the 200m T54 where she finished in fifth place in 32.52, McFadden dominating again to take her second gold of the day.

Jones, who is coached by British Paralympic great Baroness Tanni Grey Thompson, who is here working as a television presenter, said: "It is a fantastic experience to be out here racing the best athletes in the world and great to have Tanni close by.

"She is such a big help and she is always on the side-lines giving me helpful tips whenever she can."

Meanwhile, Britain's double Paralympic champion David Weir, a gold medallist in the 800m T54 earlier this week, breezed into the final of the men's 1500m T54 race as the 31-year-old Londoner qualified second fastest behind rival Marcel Hug of Switzerland.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


Related stories
January 2011: Sensational Whitehead wins surprise World Championship gold in 200 metres
January 2011: Wonderful Weir holds off Hug to claim stunning World Championships gold medal
January 2011: Britain win three medals on opening day of World Championships