After winning her 18th Games gold medal, with an astonishing triumph in the C5 time trial. The 46-year-old Britain’s Sarah Storey defined the Paris Paralympics cycling course as “appalling”
“Shortest Paralympic Time Trial”
“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, reported by BBC.
Storey finished the 14.1km course in just 20 minutes and 22.15 seconds, 4.69 secs then followed by French silver medallist Heidi Gaugain, with Australian rider Alana Forster third.
“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,” said Storey, as per BBC.
“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,” she added.
Most Significant Campaigners
She is regarded as one of the most significant campaigners in the Paralympics as she took part on eight occasions including in 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016 and 2020, and 2024 marks for the ninth Games. She has a total of 29 Paralympic medals, with 16 of those earned in swimming.
After the recent victory, she has a perfect record in the Paralympic Games cycling events, which started in 2008 in Beijing and now covers 13 races.
In a report by Manchester Evening News, Storey said, “I was down seven seconds at the first time check, but I knew that was the easiest part of the course going into that first time check because there were quite a few descents and technical sections where you can get free speed, have a recovery and be prepared for that first climb.
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