British superstar Dame Sarah Storey has won her 19th Paralympic gold medal in Paris.
Storey, Britain’s most successful Paralympian of all time competing at her ninth Games, clinched her 30th medal overall with a dramatic victory in the women’s C4-5 road race early on day nine.
The 46-year-old produced a brilliant sprint finish during a thrilling finale to Friday morning’s headline 71-kilometre event, reeling in and just beating out Heidi Gaugain in a time of one hour, 54 minutes and 24 seconds and forcing the French cyclist to settle for silver. Bronze went to Paula Ossa of Colombia.
It is Storey’s second gold at Paris 2024 so far, after she also won the women’s C5 time trial on Wednesday despite complaints over an “appalling” course.
"It's amazing, really amazing - I'm just delighted that my wheel was in front at the finish," said Storey.
"The lap before a coach of hers (Gaugain) shouted from the other side of the road, 'next lap on the left', so I had a look where we were to make sure I was ready for that. He shouted, 'go' and I went too.
"Heidi took a little bit of a gap, which is fine because that's a big acceleration that she'd made; I had a little bit of speed because I was trying to preempt it and then it was just a matter of holding her while she continued her acceleration.
"It was a long way out but it was the only tactic she could use because I have the faster sprint.
"And then, when we were together in that final corner, that's when I unleashed it. She tried to come again. I could see her furiously peddling feet but I threw my bike and it was mine."
14 of Storey’s 30 total Paralympic medals to date have come in cycling, all of them golds, having switched sports in 2005 due to a serious ear infection and debuted at Beijing in 2008 after previously claiming 16 - including five golds - in the swimming pool between 1992-2004.
Storey’s latest triumph further cements her status as the most decorated British Paralympian ever, with 10 more medals won than former swimmer Janice Burton, who claimed 20 between 1984-96.
Fellow swimmer Mike Kenny is currently second on the list of all-time GB Paralympic golds after claiming 16 between 1976-88, ahead of equestrian rider Sir Lee Pearson, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson and David Roberts.
Storey had also won the women’s C4-5 road race at London 2012, Rio 2016 and in Tokyo three years ago, while she has claimed C5 time trial gold at every Olympic Games since Beijing 2008.
