Great Britain’s Sarah Storey has added to her record haul of Paralympic gold medals after seeing off French rider Heidi Gaugain in a dramatic finale of their women’s C4-5 road race.
Storey, 46, secured her 19th gold medal in Paris on Friday morning but was made to survive a late scare having been part of the leading pack for much of the race.
With less than 2km of the 71km race to go, Gaugain burst forward on the final climb and took the lead.
Storey recovered, however, crossing the line just inches ahead of her rival – 27 years her junior – to seal victory.
Gold no19 is Storey’s 30th medal won in a magnificent career that began at Barcelona 1992, triumphing in nine different Paralympic Games across two sports.
On Wednesday, Storey won gold in the women’s C5 time trial but hit out at competition organisers over the ‘appalling course.
Speaking after Friday’s triumph, she told Channel 4; ‘I knew Heidi would want to attack and I was happy to take it to the line as the fastest sprinter in the group. It played out perfectly.’
She continued: ‘The lap before the end, her coach shouted “next lap on the left”. So I had a look where we were to make sure I was ready for that. He shouted “go”, so I went too.
‘Heidi took a bit of a gap [lead] but that was fine, I had speed. It was just a matter of holding her while she accelerated from a long way out, it was the only tactic she could use because I have the faster sprint.
‘Then on the final corner, that’s when I unleashed it. She tried to come again, but I threw my bike and it was mine.’
Storey will be 50 by the time the next Paralympics in Los Angeles come around but did not rule out the possibility of challenging for what would be a 20th gold medal.
‘I need to enjoy this one first, but never say never to anything,’ she said.
‘This just needs to sink in, it’s one of the best races we have had.’