By Elizabeth Hudson
BBC Sport in Manchester |
 Weir won three golds in Manchester on Sunday |
Wheelchair racer David Weir shone in the Manchester rain with three golds on the final day of the Visa Paralympic World Cup.
Weir, who won last month's London Marathon, made it a clean sweep in the T54 100m, 200m and 1500m events.
Javelin thrower Kenny Churchill beat his own F37 world record with 49.78m to claim gold in his event.
South African amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorius had double success in the T44 100m and 200m events.
Weir was in devastating form at Manchester's Regional Arena but admitted that winning three golds came as a surprise to him.
"I really wanted to do well in the 100m because I was only fourth here last year and the win certainly gave me confidence for my other races," he said.
"In the 1500m I took the lead from the start because I didn't want to be in the middle of the pack and it feels good to beat the guys who specialise over the distance.
"When it came to the 200m I knew when I came off the bend and couldn't see anyone around me that I was doing well but I didn't relax and just pushed straight to the line.
"I don't think I have ever been in better form, which is partly to do with having an injury-free winter."
Kenny Churchill gave himself an early birthday present with his gold medal but he was pushed all the way by Australian Wade McMahon, who had three personal bests in the competition.
"I had produced some good distances in training and I hoped to come up with a big throw here," said the Middlesbrough man, who turns 31 on Wednesday.
"The wind made it tough but this is a good venue for me after setting a world record in this event last year and it is a big boost this early in the season.
"My next aim is to get over 50 metres in competition, which I have managed in training."
Pistorius was made to work hard in the 200m by American Danny Andrews but came through in the final 20m for the win before triumphing later over the shorter distance.
But the teenager, who runs on carbon fibre blades, found the weather conditions tricky to cope with.
"I was disappointed with my performance in the 200m which is usually my stronger event.
"I used my old legs which don't have spikes and I struggled around the bend but once I got onto the straight I came from third to first, although my time was poor.
 | GB MEDALLISTS Gold: David Weir (T54 100, 200 &1500m), Danny Crates (T46 800m), Kenny Churchill (T37 javelin), Daniel Greaves (T44 discus), Beverley Jones (T37 shot), David Gale (F32/51 discus), Tracey Hinton (T11 400m) Silver: Kim Minett (F40 shot) Bronze: Lloyd Upsdell (T35 200m), Richard Schabel (F32/51 discus) |
"But I used my new legs in the 100m and I made a much better start, which helped my confidence, and I was delighted with the win."
Elsewhere, Danny Crates made amends for defeat last year with victory in the T46 800m while Daniel Greaves and Beverley Jones retained their T44 discus and T37 shot crowns.
But Britain's greatest Paralympian, Tanni Grey Thompson, finished out of the medals in the T53 100m and 800m and admitted she had no explanation for her lack-lustre display.
"I had been pushing really well in training last week but I just had nothing there today," she said.
"I felt like I had no energy at all and my speed was way down on what I would normally expect.
"I will see how things go in training this week but it might just have been one of those days."
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I made a much better start in the 100m which helped my confidence