World record for gutsy Digger in para canoe championship

Curtis McGrath, the Australian soldier who lost his legs in a bomb blast in Afghanistan, has roared into Paralympics favouritism with a world title and world record in Moscow.

McGrath, who only started paddling in December, beat Britain's Jonathan Young with a time of 48.596 seconds in the World Para Canoe Championships.

As well as setting a new world record, McGrath shattered his former personal best time by more than a second.

McGrath told the media he was now looking forward to the Paralympics in Rio in 2016.

"Even when I was on the stretcher getting carried to the medevac chopper I said I was going to be in the Paralympics, and this is the first step," he said.

The sapper lost his legs in a bomb blast in 2012 while serving in Afghanistan.

He is determined to wear the gold on the Paralympics podium in 2016, and trains 12 times a week on the Gold Coast.

The 2016 Games at Rio will be the first to include para canoeing.