Paris Paralympics 2024: USA's Samantha Bosco claims golden glory in para cycling

Samantha Bosco won her Paralympic gold at Paris Paralympics 2024.

Samantha Bosco took an emotional victory in the women’s C4 individual time trial (ITT) on day one of the para-cycling road programme at the Paris Paralympics 2024. It was a long-awaited win for the American after serious injuries prevented her from competing in Tokyo 2020.

On a day devoted entirely to ITT racing on Wednesday, the 37-year-old took gold in 21’39”24 on the Clichy-sous-Bois course with Australia’s Meg Lemon winning silver and Switzerland’s Franziska Matile-Doerig taking bronze.

Bosco, who won time trial bronze at Rio 2016, was on track to improve on that showing at the Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 when she was involved in a training accident that not only prevented her from lining up in Japan, but put her entire future on the bike in doubt. It’s something she reflected on after her first-ever Paralympic gold medal.

“When will I wake up?! This has been a long time coming,” Bosco said. “That accident left me with skull fractures and a brain injury. I spent six months in therapy, mostly for things going on around my head. It’s been a hard and arduous road, and I owe a lot to my husband, family and friends. All of the people who’ve picked me up. Today the sun shone.”

Also Read: Paris Paralympics 2024: Great Britain tops para cycling medal tally with five golds

Since recovering from the accident, Bosco has been nearly unbeatable on the road, winning back-to-back UCI world titles in both the road race and time trial in 2022 and 2023, plus numerous medals on the track.

There was further American success thanks to Oksana Masters who retained her women’s H4-H5 title. Just. Her 23’45”20 was six seconds ahead of the Netherlands’ Chantal Haenen. China’s Bianbian Sun won bronze. Masters, who spent her childhood in many Ukrainian orphanages before being adopted by an American woman, couldn’t believe she’d repeated her feat from Tokyo.

“I had no idea where I was (in which position) when I first crossed the finish line,” Masters said. “And then all of a sudden, very vaguely, I hear ‘gold for USA’. And I was like, ‘Did they just say gold?’ And I freaked out, because I knew [I was] down [in time]. I did not know if I made up time or not. I can’t believe it… I did it for that little Oksana that was never believed in.”

Katerina Brim completed America’s hat-trick of victories with gold in the women’s H1-H3 class. Her 24’14”59 was just under 10 seconds clear of Australia’s Lauren Parker. Germany’s Annika Zeyen-Giles won bronze.

The French claimed four ITT golds thanks to Alexandre Léauté (Men’s C2), Kévin le Cunff (Men’s C4), Thomas Peyroton-Dartet (Men’s C3) and Mathieu Bosredon (Men’s H3).

However, it was the Netherlands that celebrated the most ITT Paralympic titles as Jetze Plat won the country’s fifth gold in the penultimate race of the day, the men’s H4 ITT. This was Plat’s fifth Paralympic gold medal of his career – three in para-cycling and two in para-triathlon. Tristan Bangma and pilot Patrick Bos won their second gold medal of the Games in the men’s B sport class, Daniel Abraham Gebru retained his Men’s C5 title, Marieke van Soest dominated the women’s T1-T2, while Mitch Valize won gold in the men’s H5.

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