And Megan pedals to our first medal
BRITAIN’S Paralympic gold rush was kicked off last night in the Rio de Janeiro velodrome.
Megan Giglia, 31, beat Jamie Whitmore, of the United States in a dominant performance to take the C1-2-3 3,000m individual pursuit gold.
As she went on a victory lap to mark Team GB’s first medal, Miss Giglia, from Stratford-upon-Avon, raised her hand to acknowledge the applause of the crowd in the half-full velodrome.
She said: ‘To be fair it hasn’t sunk in yet, all I know is I wouldn’t be here without my team, the back-up crew behind me here, my family and friends.
‘I only look forward to the future. I didn’t think I would make it to Rio, I thought it was a bit ambitious but I thought I would give it a go. Within the British camp the atmosphere is great, everyone is hyped up and ready to go. I hope this will be the first of many golds, I’ve still got three events to go so we’ll have to see. I’ve got my main event out of the way now so I can just enjoy the rest of them with my legs pedalling fast.’
Miss Giglia, who won the world title in Italy in March, had clocked a world record in qualifying with 4:03.544. She closed in on Whitmore at the halfway mark and passed the American soon after to take gold.
She had the option to continue to go for another world record, but chose not to.
Mark Colbourne, Paralympic cycling gold medal winner, said: ‘That was unbelievable from Megan. She had 12 laps and could have taken her time but to get her just before the line is brilliant. Well done Megan.’
Remarkably, the 31-year-old’s victory came just three years after she suffered a brain haemorrhage and stroke that caused paralysis on the right side of her body and was followed by a broken back.
She turned to cycling and within two years was a world champion. She has said: ‘I used cycling to get back on the straight and narrow.
‘I have worked really hard to get my balance to a level where I am competent on a bike. So many people dwell on what they can’t achieve, no matter what they can in life.’