London 2012 Paralympics: Neverending Storey… three golds and now Sarah may try for Rio

 

Paralympic star Sarah Storey won her third gold of the Games today and said she may try again for the Olympic team in four years.

The swimmer-turned-cyclist stormed to victory at Brands Hatch in the individual C5 time trial.

Another gold tomorrow would make Storey arguably Britain’s greatest ever Paralympian. It would put her level with Tanni Grey-Thompson’s female record of 11 Paralympic golds, but Storey would have more medals overall.

In front of thousands of screaming fans at the former Formula One racing track Storey, 34, powered home in a time of 22min 40.66sec — more than a minute and a half in front of her nearest rival — to add to the two gold medals she won in the velodrome last week. Her victory was all the more impressive as the earpiece which keeps her in touch with split times failed during the race. Storey said: “The road is where all my preparation’s been done so I needed to nail this one today.

“Having watched the success of the Olympic team on the road, Bradley (Wiggins) winning the time trial and Chris Froome getting the bronze medal, I just wanted to make sure I added my name to that list. With the track I’ve done so much [but] I love riding on the road and when the time trial’s done well there’s no greater feeling.”

Storey’s final event tomorrow is the individual C4-5 road race. Her cyclist husband Barney, who won gold and silver in the velodrome last week guiding visually impaired Scottish cyclist Neil Fachie, joined her on the podium as she received her medal.

She said: “He’s worked so hard with me all summer, and in the last four years since Beijing, to make my position better, make my power better. The power was there today.

“I’m absolutely delighted. It is just amazing to get round the circuit so quickly. The first thing I’m going to do is check where I would have placed in the men’s race.”

Her husband, 35, said equalling Baroness Grey-Thompson’s record would be significant. He said: “It would mean a lot to her, Tanni is a friend. Another gold is always possible tomorrow as she’s world champion in that event too. We won’t be celebrating tonight, but after tomorrow we’ll have a small glass of champagne — or even a large one.”

Today’s win takes her impressive medal tally to 21, spanning six Games. She will be 38 by the time of the Rio Games but still hopes to represent her country in both the Paralympic and Olympic Games — although her husband dismissed suggestions she may switch to triathlon. He said: “She’s still not at her peak yet.”

Storey, who was born with a partly deformed left hand, was in contention for the team pursuit squad at London 2012. She was dropped in December in favour of Dani King, Laura Trott and Joanna Rowsell, who won gold in a world record time.

However she said today she could still make the Olympic team. She said: “You never say never. I understand my friend Joanna Rowsell has been saying that she feels I could definitely still challenge for a place in the team pursuit.

“Age itself should not be a factor… riders in their mid and late thirties seem to be excelling in all kinds of cycling events around the world.”

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