Dame Sarah Storey set the ball rolling for ParalympicsGB by claiming the team’s first gold medal of the Games in the velodrome on Wednesday.
Having set a new world record en route to the final of the C5 3000m individual pursuit, beating her previous best by more than four seconds, Storey took less than two minutes to catch fellow Briton Crystal Lane-Wright in the decider.
In winning her country’s first Tokyo gold, Storey took her total haul to 15 Paralympic golds – one short of swimmer Mike Kenny’s British record – and a remarkable 26 medals overall.
The 43-year-old will have a chance to surpass Kenny next week when she attempts to defend her C5 time trial and C4-5 road race crowns.
Storey’s moment of glory was swiftly followed by a silver medal for visually impaired rider Steve Bate in the men’s B 4000m individual pursuit, beaten by Dutchman Tristan Bangma in the final.
At the Tokyo Aquatics Centre, Reece Dunn clinched silver in the S14 100m butterfly, while Tully Kearney also finished second in the S5 200m freestyle and teenager Toni Shaw claimed bronze in the S9 400m freestyle.
Kearney was denied gold in heart-breaking fashion after leading throughout before defending champion Zhang Li snatched victory at the last with a winning margin of just 0.12 seconds.
ParalympicsGB’s wheelchair rugby team were 50-47 winners against Canada in their first pool phase game, while the women’s wheelchair basketball team were beaten 73-54 by the North American nation.
Picture of the day
Social media moment
Thank you so much for all your messages. So proud to win the first medal for @ParalympicsGB 🥇 pic.twitter.com/7HqO44ypGJ
— Dame Sarah Storey (@DameSarahStorey) August 25, 2021
Storey picked up Paralympic gold number 15.
What’s coming up on day two?
Eleven-time gold medallist Sir Lee Pearson and defending champion Sophie Wells are each in individual test action as five days of equestrian competition begin.
Cyclist Jody Cundy bids to defend his C4-5 Kilo title, while swimmer Ellie Simmonds begins her fourth Games in the SM6 200m individual medley.
The British women’s wheelchair basketball players take on hosts Japan seeking to bounce back from their defeat to Canada, while the wheelchair rugby team face New Zealand.
Former soldier Jaco Van Gass starts among the favourites for the 3000m individual pursuit.
