Sarah Storey wins 15th gold at Paralympics in individual pursuit | Tokyo Paralympics 2020

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One down, two to go. Ms Sarah Storey came close to Paralympian immortality at Iseo Veldrum on Wednesday as she carved her way to gold in the C5 3000m individual race, breaking her own world record in the process.

Storey is already one of the most brilliant athletes in British history and has competed in her eighth Paralympic Games, a record in itself. She now has 15 gold medals to her name, just one short of swimmer Mike Kenny’s all-time British Paralympic record. With two more events next week, two more in which the 43-year-old will be a huge favourite, this definitive tribute is well within reach.

In truth, the C5 class final was not so much a race as a parade. Storey brought in British teammate Crystal Lane Wright in the final with over 1,000m remaining in a row. Interfering in the chase, when a runner eats a track semicircle on his opponent, he ends the race.

“It’s hard to put into words after the race,” said Storey. “For me as an individual, I’ve won a medal in every match I’ve been in and this is the fourth time I’ve won the individual pursuit in a row. I broke world records in Beijing, London, Rio and this morning, so it’s been hard for me to try to keep supporting that and keep going. Pressing the pedals to go faster and faster.I never expected to go as fast as I did this morning, but I’m so glad I did.

“It’s so overwhelming, to be in an empty stadium. We have to be ready to race like this but once you finish the race when it hits you, the stands are completely empty. When you want to celebrate with people you realize you don’t have your friends and family here. We can celebrate with the team. , which is clearly amazing but there is a bigger team behind the team you see here today and now they are missing more than ever.”

Ms. Sarah Storey broke the world record in qualifying on her way to the gold medal race. Photo: Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com/Shutterstock

Storey has already shown her prowess in qualifying, taking a full four seconds off her world record time, which was posted at the last Paralympic Games in Rio in 2016. Her first gold was at the GP Paralympics in Tokyo 2020.

Storey’s world record was one of eight recorded on a glorious opening day of cycling in Izu, 170 kilometers south of Tokyo. The first mark was set in the very opening round, when China’s Qian Wangwei clocked a time of 4 minutes 31.476 seconds in the C1 class, a rating for severely disabled cyclists.

Two other Chinese athletes soon followed, Wang Xiaomi taking the C3 class record of 3.55.781, before Seni Zeng set 4.06.263 in the C2 class.

The Australian riders then took center stage with Paige Greco returning against Xiaomei to set her own world record in the C3 class. Jericho then went on to outdo herself in the final with a time of 3.50.815, meaning she not only claimed the gold medal ahead of Wang, but took nearly 10 seconds in what was the best in history at the start of the match. day.

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Fellow Australian Emily Petricola, who has multiple sclerosis, won the gold in the C4 class where she also set her own world record time, clocking 3,38,061 at an average speed of just under 50 km/h.

Finally, Dutch duo Tristan Pangma and pilot Patrick Boss broke the B4000 blind bike world record with a time of 3:59.470 and an average speed of 60 km/h.

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