In a stunning display of endurance and skill, Sarah Story further cemented her status as Great Britain’s most decorated Paralympian by winning her 18th gold medal at the Paris 2024 Paralympics. The win came on day seven of the Games, when Story won the women’s C5 time trial by more than four seconds, further cementing her legendary status in Paralympic history.
Story’s latest triumph adds to her already impressive collection of medals, which began over three decades ago. The 46-year-old’s achievement not only takes her total gold medal tally to 18, but also marks a significant milestone for ParalympicsGB, as it secures the team’s 31st gold medal in Paris. The win, achieved 32 years after her first Paralympic medal in 1992, underlines Story’s extraordinary career and her enduring dominance in para-cycling.
Day seven of the Paralympics was a day of remarkable achievements for Great Britain, with Story’s gold medal just the start. The British team added 11 more medals to their tally, showcasing their talents in a variety of sports including swimming, wheelchair tennis, para-equestrian, para-shooting and para-powerlifting. With 72 medals so far, Great Britain are second on the medal table, only behind China, who top the medals tally with 121 medals.
Story’s record-breaking day
Story’s gold medal in the women’s C5 time trial was a testament to her exceptional skill and resilience. Despite the course being described as “terrifying” due to its short 14.1km distance, Story performed brilliantly. Her 4.69-second victory over France’s Heidi Gauguin was a reminder of her unrivalled talent and experience. Story, who competed in para-swimming before switching to para-cycling, has so far won a total of 29 Paralympic medals, including 18 golds. Story’s disappointment over the length of the course did not diminish her achievement, but she hoped future races would better showcase athletes’ abilities. “This is the shortest Paralympic time trial ever held,” she said.
“I hope they never do this to the women again, because it’s appalling.” Cycling success continues ParalympicsGB’s success in cycling continued, with additional medals won throughout the day. Fran Brown took silver in the women’s C1-3 time trial despite suffering a dislocated shoulder in a car accident earlier in the week. Sophie Unwin and Lora Facchi also contributed to the cycling medal haul, winning silver and bronze respectively in the women’s B individual time trial. These achievements take the total number of cycling medals won by Great Britain to 18, with swimming being the only sport in which they have achieved more medals. The impressive performance in cycling highlights the strength and depth of the British team in this discipline.
A flurry of silver medals in the pool
The pool was another area of success for Great Britain on day seven. Seven finals took place, with notable performances resulting in silver medals for Rhys Darby, Poppy Maskill and Alice Tai. Darby, who is only 17, won silver in the men’s SM14 200m individual medley final. Maskill, who had already won two golds and a silver medal, added another silver medal to her account in the same event. Tai led the S8 women’s 400m freestyle final before being overtaken by Jessica Long of the United States.
The success in swimming, with 23 medals so far, reinforces Great Britain’s strong performance in the pool, reflecting the depth of talent within the team.
Wheelchair tennis and other successes
In wheelchair tennis, Andy Lapthorne and Greg Slade won silver in the quad doubles final, although they lost to the Dutch team of Sam Schröder and Niels Vink. Wimbledon champion Alfie Hewett reached the men’s singles semi-finals, but will team up with Gordon Reid in the men’s doubles semi-finals later in the week.
Other notable achievements included Zoe Newson winning silver in the women’s para-powerlifting up to 45kg final. Newson’s silver came after an appeal overturned an initial decision which had placed her third. In para-equestrian, Sophie Wells won bronze in the Grade V individual event. Tim Jeffery also won bronze in the Shooting Para Sport Mixed Prone SH2 final, his first medal in three Paralympic Games.
Teenager Bailey Twomey is assured of at least a bronze medal in para-table tennis after a stunning win over Smilla Sand of Sweden. Twomey, just 14, will compete against Kubra Korkut of Turkey in the semi-finals.
Reflections and future prospects
The seventh day of the Paris 2024 Paralympics was marked by exceptional performances and a continued demonstration of Great Britain’s strength across a number of sports. Sarah Storey’s record-breaking achievement was a highlight, reflecting her enduring talent and dedication. The impressive medal haul in cycling, swimming, wheelchair tennis and other sports underlines the depth and talent of the British team.