CWMBRAN athlete Kyron Duke is still waiting for his first major title in the senior ranks – so where better to break his duck than at the Rio Paralympics.

The 23-year-old, a world junior gold medallist five years ago, made his Games debut at London 2012, finishing fifth and eighth in the F41 shot put and javelin respectively.

Four years on and he goes in both events again in Brazil, bidding to follow in the footsteps of cousin Gareth Duke, a Paralympic swimming champion in 2004.

Kyron, trained by Anthony Hughes, is no stranger to the medal podium having won a silver and three bronzes at the World Championships and two silvers and two bronzes at the European Championships.

He gets his Rio campaign up and running tonight in the final of the men’s F41 shot put, while the F41 javelin final takes place on Sunday afternoon.

“I’m a little bit nervous but excited at the same time,” he said. “I would obviously love to get a medal, and I know I’m capable of winning one.

“It’s just going to be about performing on the day and hoping everything clicks, and if I don’t get a medal then I at least want a personal best.

“I’ve had a few little injuries this season but they haven’t held me back that much and I’m feeling good going into the Paralympics.”

Kyron, who was born with achondroplasia, a form of dwarfism, started athletics at a very young age and began competing at major competitions in 2009.

He also took up powerlifting aged 12 and, as well as becoming a world junior champion, represented Wales at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in the EAD (elite athletes with a disability) bench press.

The last Paralympics may have come a bit too early in his career for him to challenge for top honours, but experiencing a Games on home soil is something he remembers with great fondness.

And he is delighted to see the legacy created by London 2012 bearing fruit.

“London was amazing,” he added. “It won’t be exactly the same in Rio because we won’t have a home crowd behind us.

“I had personal bests in both events in London but I would say I have improved since then. I think the team has improved as well.

“We’ve still got the likes of David Weir, Richard Whitehead and Jonnie Peacock, and a lot of people have stepped up to senior level.

“London 2012 showed disabled people what was possible and there are a lot of role models now. Some people were very nervous to try new things but they have men and women to look up to.”

Still relatively young, Kyron has every intention of going on well beyond Rio.

“I want to go to Tokyo 2020 and probably more Paralympic Games after that,” he continued. “I want to keep going until my body doesn’t want to.”