Canberra sprinter James Turner blitzed the field as he smashed his own world record to win gold in the T36 400-metres.

Australia also won two bronze medals in the pool on day six of the Paralympic Games on Wednesday (AEST).

Rachael Watson finished eight seconds behind breakaway winner Leanne Smith of the USA, who set a new Paralympic record in the S3 100-metres.

The sacrifices Alex Taffy made when he left home two years ago to move to Canberra paid off as he edged out fellow Australian Col Pearse to a bronze in the S10 100-metres butterfly in his debut Games.

In basketball, the Rollers were defeated by Great Britain 84-64, ending their Paris campaign.

Meanwhile table tennis champion Qian Yang will have a chance to defend her Paralympic gold medal after defeating Brazil’s Bruno Alexandre.

Back from zero

James Turner, who has cerebral palsy, said a debilitating bout of glandular fever nearly derailed his gold medal dream.

Turner blitzed the field at the Stade de France on Tuesday, bettering his previous 51.71 world record which he set in Dubai five years ago.

The 25-year-old, who won the same race at Tokyo in 2021, finished with a time of 51.54.

Turner, however, detailed his quest for gold had not been straightforward after he was bowled over by glandular fever in May.

“I was struggling with it for a month and a half, two months … it really affects the training,” Turner said.

“You’ve got to build back up from zero and it’s a lot of work from a lot of people went into it.

“I went through phases. I’d have waves of exhaustion, where I could barely walk and I was stumbling around, in a bit of delirium.

“I obviously wasn’t able to train and as soon as I’d start training, I’d get worse, so we had to be really careful and come back really slowly.

“I didn’t think I’d be able to break a world record here today. I just thought maybe if I do everything right, I can scrape across the line first.”

Turner’s triumph was Australia’s first track medal of the games so far.

Turner has now won gold in three back-to-back Paralympics.

The Canberra-based runner is set to compete in the 100-metre sprint too and is hoping, like with his 400-metre victory, he is allocated lane seven.

“When I heard that I got lane seven, I got a bit more confidence (because) every time I’m in lane seven at a major meet I break a world record,” Turner said.

“I am racing in the 100m as well … I’d like lane seven, it’s more important for the bends (in the 400m) but let’s see if we can get it.”

Turner’s gold was the only Australian triumph in the morning session, with Madison de Rozario finishing fifth in the women’s T54 1500-metre.

-with AAP