Kevin Moore broke the second national record in the space of a few weeks after setting a new mark in the 200m during the Australia Championships in Melbourne last weekend.

The 23-year-old sprinter had already given a clear indication of his excellent form when he established a new national best for the 100m, clocking 10.50 seconds during the Sydney Track Classic last month.

On Sunday, Moore won his 200m heat in 21.26 seconds. His time was 0.13 of a second faster than the previous best of 21.39 he set in January 2012.

The Luxembourg GSSE gold medallist went on to contest the final, placing third in 21.34 seconds. Mangar Makut Chuot, of Western Australia, won the race in 21.08 ahead of New Zealand’s Joseph Millar (21.25).

“I’m really pleased with my new national record,” Moore told Times of Malta.

“My performance takes even greater significance as I clocked the time in a headwind. This shows that I can improve further in favourable conditions.

“This result is a morale-booster for me as I continue my preparations to represent Malta at the Commonwealth Games in Scotland next July.”