Sarah writes latest golden chapter of a stirring Storey
GREAT Britain’s Sarah Storey yesterday won her third gold medal of the Paralympic Games in the C5 women’s road cycling time trial and further success could yet follow today.
In finishing one minute and 34 seconds ahead of her challengers, Storey defended the title won four years ago in Beijing to add to the golds of her C5 pursuit and 500m time trial toils and near to within one win of Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson’s and Dave Roberts’ record of 11 gold medals.
“I’ve spent so much time on the road this year and only went on to the track three weeks ago,” said Storey, who today competes for road race gold.
“Having watched the success of the Olympic team on the road, Bradley [Wiggins] winning the time trial and Chris Froome getting the bronze medal, I just wanted to make sure I added my name to that list of success.
“With the track I’ve done so much [but] I love riding on the road and when the time trial’s done, well there’s no greater feeling.”
Furthering Storey’s success, Oliver Hynd won Britain’s sixth swimming gold in the SM8 200m individual medley to supplement the silver and bronze he had already won, Charlotte Henshaw and Liz Johnson respectively took silver and bronze with second and third in the SB6 100m breaststroke final, and Louise Watkin took S9 50m freestyle silver.
In athletics, Bethany Woodward took silver in the T37 200m, David Devine won bronze in the 800m for his second bronze of the Games and in wheelchair tennis, Peter Norfolk and Andy Lapthorne took silver after losing 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 to Americans David Wagner and Nick Taylor in the quad doubles final.
PARALYMPICS chiefs have challenged South Africa to provide evidence that rival athletes illegally adjusted the height of their prosthetic legs in between races. Officials from the country have reignited the row sparked by Oscar Pistorius’s shock T44 200m final defeat to Brazil’s Alan Oliveira by writing to the International Paralympic Committee. An IPC spokesman said it had not measured blade length before each race but had canvassed coaches, who denied the practice, adding: “There is no evidence they were competing on different sized running blades.”
Pistorius last night helped South Africa break the 4x100m relay T42/46 record, in 41.78 seconds.
TODAY AT THE GAMES
Athletics
Oscar Pistorius is in action in the T44 100m, dubbed the standout race of the games, where he will take on Jerome Singleton and Britain’s Jonnie Peacock (9.58pm).
In the T54 800m, reigning champion David Weir seeks another medal, but he will face competition from Kurt Fearnley and world-record holder Marcel Hug.
British world champion Dan Greaves aims for a medal in the F44 discus at the Olympic Stadium.
Great Britain’s Libby Clegg and Hannah Cockroft take part in the T12 200m (semi-finals 12.41pm, finals 7.42pm)
Swimming
Jonathan Fox goes for gold in swimming in the 400m freestyle (5.47pm).
Road cycling
Sarah Storey seeks further success in the women’s road race (2.32pm).
Sailing
Britain hope for their first ever medal in the SKUD 18 (1pm) and the Sonar (11am).