LYDNEY’S future paralympian Andy Lewis has completed an incredible double after claiming gold in the world para-triathlon championships this weekend.

Lewis, 33, topped off an incredible week after his selection for the Games in Rio this year was announced by winning the ITU Paratriathlon World Championships in Rotterdam, Holland on Sunday.

Lewis put in an incredible performance to finish the course in 1.08.09, more than two minute faster than his nearest competitor, American Mark Barr, to add to his European title.

It marks a huge improvement since last year’s competition in Chicago, when Lewis did an extra lap and finished ninth in the PT2 class.

“Last year I had a nightmare of a race, so this year I wanted to prove to myself that I’m better than that,” he said.

“I can’t quite believe it to be honest. I worked really hard on the bike and followed all the advice from the coaches. I’m so happy to have the European and now world title.

“It was nice to share the podium with Mark Barr and [Frenchman Stephane] Bahier too, really felt that the PT2 guys today were very sporting and it’s nice to see.

Team GB head coach Jonathon Riall, who is supervising the para-triathletes in Rio, hailed Lewis’ efforts, saying ’it was a great race from Andy’, but added: “We are not going to read too much into these results, the course is very different to Rio.”