CALGARY -- Earle Connor, Canada's amazing amputee sprinter, heads to Germany this week to the scene of some of his greatest triumphs.

The Calgary resident and winner this year of the Laureus World Sport Award as the best athlete with a disability in the world, plans to race the 100 and 200-metre events at a IAAF competition in Leverkusen, Germany on August 1. Connor holds the world mark in both events.

Last year at a meet at Levekursen, he clocked 12.14 seconds in the 100 to smash his previous mark of 12.56 set in August 2001. In the 200 he clocked 26.66 seconds to break his previous mark of 26.96 also set in 2001. He would later lower his 200 mark to 26.39. He also beat 400 mark that same day in Leverkusen but lost it later in 2003.

"Those races are right down my alley," said Connor, who turns 28 next Friday. "It's going to be extremely special to go back there. It's a good town for me and I've spent the last eight weeks getting my body ready to run fast there."

"The event falls on a perfect day as well for my Paralympic preparation. What I'll do is repeat the same training formula I used to peak for the Leverkusen for leading into Athens. So this is a big test for me for the actual big show."

"I'm going faster than I ever have right now, so I'm pretty excited."

Connor lost his left leg at three months because of a problem with his fibula but that didn't deter him from excelling in abled-bodied sports as a youngster. He was a standout hockey player reaching the highest levels in Saskatoon where he grew up. He was also an excellent first baseman in baseball and a sought-after doubles partner in tennis.

But watching the 1996 Paralympics, the multi-sport Games for athletes with a disability, on TV changed his life.

"At that time I thought the Paralympics was just a participation thing," said Connor, who runs with a state-of-the-art prosthesis. "But I realized these guys are high level and very skilled athletes. I made a few phone calls and immediately got involved in running. I guess it took me a while to find the right sport."

At the 2000 Paralympic in Sydney, Connor won gold in the 100 in a world record time and was second in the 200.

"I want two gold this time," said Connor. "I'm going in much better prepared. Back in 2000 I only had my coach Les Gramantik for a year, so he didn't know me. But now we've known each other for five years and we have a comfortable fit. I'm doing exercises and physiological things that I never did before Sydney."

After the German meet, Connor returns to Canada to prepare for the Canadian Paralympic Championships August 6-8 in Edmonton.

The 2000 Paralympic Games, a multi sport event for athletes with a disability traditionally held in the same host city as the Olympic Games, are this September in Athens.