'That time was very special': Jaryd Clifford shatters own world record nine months after Paris heartbreak
Aussie Paralympic star Jaryd Clifford has bounced back from heartbreaking disqualification in Paris to shatter his own T12 1500m world record at a meeting in France.
Nine months after he was stripped of a bronze, Clifford shaved nearly a second off his 2021 record.
Competing against able-bodied runners, he stopped the clock in 3:40.39 – 0.95 seconds quicker than the 3:41.34 from 2021.
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"When I crossed the line, I knew it was fast but I didn't actually find out for a few minutes until someone could read it out to me," Clifford said.
"I haven't run a PB [personal best] in the 1500m in over four years so hearing that time was very special."
Jaryd Clifford smashed his own T12 para-athletics world record in the 1500m. Instagram
Clifford was disqualified in Paris because he and guide Matt Clarke were not both holding the tether when they crossed the finish line.
"I'm not just shattered for me; I'm shattered for them [his guides]," Clifford said at the Stade de France at the time.
"They give everything for me out there."
Paris aside, the 25-year-old has spent much of the past four years battling injuries and other setbacks, but has finally got his body right.
Clifford competing at the Australian championships in April. Getty
"For four years, I've really struggled. There was a time when I couldn't string together more than 12 weeks of running in a row," he said.
"Now I'm injury-free and it's such a relief to be healthy and I'm so proud that I hung in there when times were tough. After how disappointing Paris was, this is just the first step of many towards the LA Paralympics."
Clifford was the second Aussie to see success on the track in a matter of hours, after Lachlan Kennedy earlier became just the second Aussie to break the 10-second barrier in the 100m.
Clifford said the new world record is a line in the sand that marked the beginning of the second half of his career, which will begin proper at the world para-athletics championships in New Delhi in September.
"In my mind, I decided to draw a line down the middle of my career between the first half and second half," he said.
"I needed a fresh start in my mind and a clear separation from the past. It gave me some space to breathe, and in Delhi, I hope people will see the new me. I hope I gave a glimpse of that tonight.
"I have a lot to keep giving this sport. It's given me so much, it's changed my life and it gave me the confidence to be me. So I'm in this for the long haul. In many ways I do truly feel like this is just the beginning.
"So many tough times are behind me, now it's time to build to something special."
