Darren Kenny claimed three golds to help Great Britain finish top of the medal standings at the UCI Para-Cycling Track World Championships in Montichiari, Italy.

Triple Paralympic gold medallist Kenny stood atop the podium in the C3 individual pursuit, C3 kilo and, with Tel Byrne and Jody Cundy, the mixed team sprint. 

Having set a new world record in qualification, the trio then lowered the mark again to 49.540 seconds to beat Paralympic silver medallists China.

Byrne was making his World Championship debut after taking up cycling through the Battle Back programme having been injured by an improvised explosive device while leading a Royal Marines night patrol in August 2008.

Jon-Allan Butterworth, another war veteran, set a world record in the C5 kilo in what was also his first worlds outing and just six months after representing Great Britain for the first time.

“I was nervous while I had to wait for the other competitors to get around,” said Butterworth, a weapons technician in the RAF who lost his left arm in Iraq in August 2007.

“It’s been a year and 10 months since I started with the track cycling squad, and a real life change. To get a new world record here, in my first World Championships, was awesome.”

Great Britain finished the 2008 Beijing Paralympics with 17 gold medals and, after five world records in Montichiari, head into the final phase of their preparations for next year’s Games in London. 

Head coach Chris Furber added: “Performances from this weekend are a massive boost for the team, gaining us vital qualification points towards places in London.

“The standard of the competition has really moved on since Beijing and being in a medal mix now means we are well placed for medal prospects in 2012.”

To see where Great Britain’s 18 medals were won, click here.