Dame Sarah Storey stormed to an 18th Paralympic gold medal this morning, after overhauling an early deficit in the road cycling time trial.
On a course the 46-year-old described as “appalling”, she had been seven seconds behind France’s Heidi Gaugain at the first time check.
But she timed her run over the 14.2km course to perfection to seal gold by just 4.8sec. It was her 13th cycling Paralympic gold to add to five previously won in swimming over nine Games.
Storey, who has opted to compete just on the road rather than doubling up on the track, will also go for gold in Friday’s road race.
Following her C5 time trial win, the Briton said: “It’s a short race. This is the shortest Paralympic time trial we have ever had. I think it’s a real shame, because we don’t get to showcase Para sport in the way we want to.
“There’s plenty of time in the day for us to do two laps, like the men. Having fought so hard for parity in women’s cycling, to not have it is a real disappointment.
“I’ve had to put that aside and focus on what I could control, because I couldn’t control the race distance. But I hope they never do this again, because it has been appalling.”
Storey’s Paralympic debut came in the pool at the 1992 Games in Barcelona and, 32 years on, she was watched from the sidelines by her 11-year-old daughter Louisa and her son Charlie, 6, who both missed the Covid-hit Games in Tokyo.
Following gold No18, Storey said: “Louisa said to me last night at dinner, ‘This is the first Games I’m going to remember’. I’m utterly delighted. It is brilliant to have friends and family here. I’m so pleased.
“I came here to try and get the gold medal for the fifth time, fourth defence, and I’ve done it.
“It was the perfectly-paced ride. I was down seven seconds, but I knew that was the easiest part of the course, because there were quite a few descents and technical sections where you can get free speed, have a recovery and be prepared for the first climb.
“I can’t say that [being behind] was the plan. I would like to be ahead all the way, but it was just about making sure I stayed upright and then smashed it up that last climb and into the finish. I’m on top of the world.”
