Storey seeks history in Tokyo after being selected for Paralympics

Fourteen-time Paralympic gold medallist Dame Sarah Storey will bid to make history in Tokyo after being selected to spearhead Great Britain’s cycling team.

Storey has qualified for her eighth Games and will seek to defend her titles in the C5 individual pursuit, C5 time trial and C4-5 road race.

Victoryineacheventwould see the 43-year-old surpass former swimmer Mike Kenny – who has 16 gold medals – as Britain’smostsuccessfulParalympian.

A further four reigning champions have been named in the squad; Jody Cundy, Kadeena Cox, Steve Bate and Lora Fachie, in addition to returning Paralympians Crystal Lane-Wright, Neil Fachie, Aileen McGlynn and James Ball.

George Peasgood, who is also competing in triathlon, and Games debutants Jaco Van

Gass, Sophie Unwin, Fin GrahamandBenWatsoncomplete the line-up.

Storey, who has won a total of 25 medals across a Paralympic career which began in swimming in 1992, said: “It’s a huge honour to receive selection for my eighth Paralympic Games.

“If I could go back and tell 14-year-old Sarah she’d get to do eight Paralympic Games I don’t know whether I would have believed it.

"Competingformycountry is all I have ever wanted to do since being six years old and watching the 1984 Games in Los Angeles.

“Back then I had no idea the Paralympics existed, so I’m hugely proud to have contributed to such a significant erainParalympicsportandam incrediblyexcitedtoattemptto defend the three gold medals I won in Rio.”

Britain has topped the cycling medal table for the past three Games, winning 17, eight and12goldsrespectivelyinBeijing, London and Rio.

C4 rider Cundy, who is preparing for his seventh Games havingalreadywonsevengolds in swimming and cycling, will attempt to defend his C4-5 kilo title and has also been named inthemixedteamsprintsquad alongside Cox and Van Gass.

Cox will look to retain gold in the C4-5 500m time trial, while South Africa-born newcomer Van Gass goes in a further four events; the C1-3 kilo, C3 individual pursuit, C3 time trial and C1-3 road race.

ReigningParalympicchampion Bate and his pilot Adam Duggleby will once again be in action in the individual pursuit and time trial, as well as attempting to better their bronze medal from Rio in the road race.