Mikey Brannigan of Newport, N.Y., set a new T20 1,500-meter world record of 3:48.85 on the final day of the U.S. Paralympics Track and Field National Championships in St. Paul, Minnesota.
“I felt physically and mentally strong,” Brannigan said after the race.
The T20 category is designated for athletes with intellectual impairment. Brannigan was diagnosed with autism at 18 months old.
Brannigan's winning time was almost ten seconds faster than Iranian athlete Payman Nasiri Bazanjani's 3:58.49 gold-medal performance at the 2012 Summer Paralympic Games in London. The new world record shattered the previous time of 3:54.07 set by Poland's Rafal Korc in 2003.