Sports
BRITAIN’S Sarah Storey described the Paris Paralympics cycling time trial course as “appalling” after winning her 18th Games gold medal.
Storey won the women’s C5 event for a fifth successive Paralympics on a course that was just 14.1km long – the first time she has raced a Games course shorter than 22km.
Storey beat French hope Heidi Gaugain, then afterwards said athletes had appealed to Games organisers about the course length for the women’s race but heard nothing back.
“It’s a short race. This is the shortest Paralympic time trial we have ever had, and I think it’s a real shame because we don’t get to showcase Para-sport in the way we want to,” Storey said.
“You’ll have to ask organisers. 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 to the women again, because it has been appalling.
“It’s a hilly 10km. I do lots of those at home so I have plenty of practice. But in championships you expect a race of minimum 22km, that’s what we’ve done in all the other Paralympic Games.
“Look back to that incredible course in Beijing, Brands Hatch with all the fans, Rio was flat but longer, Tokyo we had the motor circuit, three laps, it was a real challenge.
“This has been the most disappointing in that sense, given what came before it.”
The 46-year-old had trailed Gaugain by more than seven seconds after 5.8km, but she stormed back in the final section to retain the title and win her 13th cycling gold to add to the five she won as a swimmer before switching sports in 2008.
Storey, who is solely competing in road events at Paris 2024, is taking part in her ninth Games – the most ever for a British athlete.
She will look to add a 19th gold in the road race on Friday.
Among active Paralympians, Belarusian swimmer Ihar Boki has overtaken Storey in terms of most gold medals won in a career, reaching 21 after five victories in Paris.
Storey won Wednesday’s time trial in 20 minutes 22.15 seconds, putting her 4.69 seconds ahead of silver medallist Gaugain – 27 years her junior. Alana Forster of Australia won bronze.
– BBCSport
A.I
Sept. 4, 2024
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