Paris Paralympics 2024: Australia, Great Britain dominate with two gold each in para cycling

Two para cyling world records and one Paralympic record set in day 2 of Paris Paralympics 2024.

The second day of the para-cycling track at the Paris Paralympics 2024 saw five gold medals contested in the National Velodrome at Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines. French fans celebrated Alexandre Léauté winning the host nation’s first para cycling gold medal of the Games.  Australia and Great Britain won two gold medals apiece.

Léauté was unstoppable as he retained his men’s C2 individual pursuit title in 3’26”015. Belgium’s Ewoud Vromant won silver, Great Britain’s Matthew Robertson bronze.

“I’m not usually someone who is nervous, but I was under a lot of pressure today,” said Léauté. “If it hadn’t been for the public, I don’t know if I would have lasted to the end. My heart was at 160[bpm] this morning when I went into the velodrome!”

Léauté had earlier set a new world record of 3’24”300 (formerly 3’25”888), and now looks ahead to the kilometre and the team sprint on the track, followed by the time trial and road race next week.

Also Read: Paris Paralympics 2024: Netherlands, China secure multiple gold medals in para cycling

In the men’s C4-C5 1000m time trial, Australia’s Korey Boddington won gold in 1’01”650 ahead of Great Britain’s Blaine Hunt (1’01”766) and Spain’s two-time Paralympic gold medallist Alfonso Cabello Llamas.

Boddington headed into the afternoon’s final as fastest qualifier in a Paralympic record time of 1’01”190 and duly took the title.

“The difference between possible and impossible is determination and I had a bit of that in the lead-up,” Boddingon said after the race.

The celebrations continued for Australia as the 11-time UCI World Champion Emily Petricola retained her title in the women’s C4 3000m individual pursuit, catching New Zealand’s Anna Taylor after 2500m. Canada’s Keely Shaw finished third. Pertricola also smashed her own world record in qualifying with 3’35”856.

“I’m ecstatic to be in this position,” Petricola said. “I’ve been on the physio table maybe two times a day for a long time. It’s super special.”

Then Great Britain wrote the headlines as they won the final two golds of day two of the para-cycling track programme thanks to Jaco van Gass, and Elizabeth Jordan with her pilot Dannielle Khan.

Van Gass retained his title in the men’s C3 3000m individual pursuit in 3’18”460. Countryman Finlay Graham won silver with Canada’s Alexandre Hayward taking bronze.

In qualifying, Graham broke Van Gass’ world record, to clock in at 3’17”305. It was a record he held for just six minutes as 38-year-old Van Gass won it back with a 3’15”488. The same happened in Tokyo, leaving Graham joking about it on X before the final: “2 times that’s happened now @Paralympics. Petition to be a few heats ahead of @jacovangass so I can enjoy my WR for a bit longer, please.”

It was then over to Jordan and pilot Khan who won gold in the women’s B 1000m time trial in 1’06”976.

“It’s incredible, especially as I shouldn’t be here,” said Jordan. “In 2017 I was in a coma with a rare form of e-coli poisoning. I lost my sight. But acquiring a disability was the making of me. Having a disability isn’t a barrier; in fact, it’s a power sometimes and you can achieve incredible things.” Australia’s Jessica Gallagher and pilot Caitlin Ward won silver with Sophie Unwin and pilot Jenny Holl third.

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