Dame Sarah Story etched her name in Paralympic history once again on day seven of the Paris 2024 Games. At the age of 46, Story extended her record as Great Britain’s most decorated Paralympian by winning her 18th gold medal in the women’s C5 road cycling time trial.
Story’s victory, by a margin of over four seconds, not only gave her the gold medal, but also marked ParalympicsGB’s 31st gold medal of these Games. The win is a testament to Story’s enduring excellence and determination, as she celebrates 32 years since her first Paralympic medal at the 1992 Barcelona Games.
The gold medal came amid a challenging race, set on a remarkably short 14.1km course, which Story criticised for being less than ideal for a para-cycling showdown. Nevertheless, her performance was impressive, with the final time clock holding a comfortable lead over France’s Heidi Gauguin, who finished 4.69 seconds behind.
Storey’s career has seen many remarkable successes. Initially a star in para-swimming, she moved to para-cycling and has won 29 Paralympic medals in total. Her recent gold medal takes her to a total of 18 Paralympic golds, a feat achieved by only a select few in the history of the Games.
In addition to Storey’s win, Great Britain had a remarkable day in the cycling arena. Fran Brown took silver in the women’s C1-C3 time trial, contributing to GB’s impressive medal haul. The country’s performance in Paris has seen them take a total of 63 medals, leaving them second on the medal table behind China, who won 118 medals.
The excitement in the cycling arena is just one part of the wider Paralympic picture. Great Britain’s athletes are also making a splash in track events and swimming. On Wednesday afternoon, Blaine Hunt and Archie Atkinson competed in the men’s individual time trial final, while Jaco van Gass, Finn Graham and Ben Watson were in the men’s C3 individual time trial final. Lizzie Jordan, Lora Facchi and Sophie Unwin competed in the women’s B individual time trial. In swimming, Great Britain continued to put up a strong performance, with 20 of their 63 medals coming from the pool. On Wednesday morning, all ten ParalympicsGB swimmers competing in the heats reached their finals. Notable performances included Stephen Clegg topping the men’s S12 100m freestyle heats and Olivia Newman-Baronius taking the lead in the women’s SM14 200m individual medley. Karim Chan also missed out on a medal in the T38 men’s long jump on the day. Chan’s impressive performance saw him finish fourth, just one centimetre away from the bronze medal. His final jump of 6.39m was a commendable effort, but fell short of the medal places secured by Khetag Khinchagov, Zhong Huanghao and Jose Gregorio Lemos Rivas.
In para-table tennis, young talent Bly Twomey secured at least a bronze medal by reaching the semi-finals of the WS7 women’s singles. Twomey, who has already won bronze in the WD14 women’s doubles, continues to showcase her potential on the international stage.
Wheelchair tennis also featured prominently, with Andy Lapthorne and Gregory Slade aiming for gold in the quad doubles. They faced a strong challenge from Sam Schroder and Niels Vink of the Netherlands. Meanwhile, Gordon Reid and Alfie Hewett competed in the men’s singles quarter-finals, with Hewett reaching the semi-finals while Reid was eliminated.
The day’s events were a reminder of the diverse range of sports and exceptional talent on display at the Paris Paralympics. Great Britain’s athletes continue to impress with their performances across a variety of disciplines, creating exciting and memorable Games.
As the competition progresses, the focus is on celebrating the remarkable achievements of Paralympic athletes and the spirit of perseverance and excellence they demonstrate. With each passing day, the Paris 2024 Paralympics continue to inspire and captivate spectators from around the world.