Super Storey wins a record 12th gold
DAME Sarah Storey embraced husband Barney and daughter Louisa inside the Rio velodrome after capturing her 12th gold to become Great Britain’s most decorated female Paralympian. Storey, who has now won 23 Paralympic medals, broke the record she previously shared with legendary wheelchair racer Tanni Grey-Thompson, winner of 11 golds. The 38-year-old had said this week she is only getting quicker and proved it by catching compatriot Crystal Lane after only 1,625m of the C5 3,000m individual pursuit. ‘Tanni’s still a hero for me,’ said Storey. ‘But to go quicker than London after having my daughter Louisa is the icing on the cake. It’s amazing and I don’t think it will sink in for a very long time.’ Storey went to her first Paralympics in Barcelona in 1992 aged 14, beginning with two golds, three silvers and a bronze. Back then she was a swimmer, continuing in the pool until Athens in 2004 then switching to cycling. Baroness Grey-Thompson was watching trackside last night and hugged her afterwards. With three more events to come, Storey has every chance of taking more medals back home. Team-mate Megan Giglia began Britain’s charge in the velodrome with gold in the individual pursuit C1-2-3 3,000m and Steve Bate did likewise in the 4,000m individual pursuit for visually impaired riders with pilot Adam Duggleby. In the pool, Ollie Hynd took gold in the men’s S8 400m freestyle.