Paralympics: Dame Sarah Storey wins GB’s first gold medal in Tokyo

Dame Sarah Storey took a giant step towards Paralympic history on Wednesday by smashing her own world record on the way to a 15th Paralympic gold – Britain’s first at the Tokyo Games.

The 43-year-old qualified comfortably fastest in the C5 3,000m individual pursuit and overwhelmed fellow Brit Crystal Lane-Wright in a final which was not a genuine contest but a procession to glory.

Storey was only heading for one kind of medal after a heat in which she became the first woman to smash through the three-and-a-half minute barrier, with a time of 3.27.057. That carved four seconds of her own world record.

Dame Sarah Storey took a giant step towards history by winning her 15th Paralympic gold

Storey can now draw level with 1970s and 1980s swimmer Mike Kenny as Britain’s most successful Paralympian if she wins another in next Tuesday’s road time trial

Storey claimed Britain’s first medal at the rescheduled Tokyo Games on Wednesday morning

The last time this discipline was competed for at the Olympics was in 2008 at Beijing, when Rebecca Romero won in 2.28.32. So Storey’s time in the qualifying round would have secured her gold at that event.

The final brought her up against a competitor she beats so relentlessly that only a catastrophe would have prevented her winning. She eased past Lane-Wright just before the minute mark to take gold.

Storey can now draw level with 1970s and 1980s swimmer Mike Kenny as Britain’s most successful Paralympian if she wins another in next Tuesday’s road time trial.

Storey (L) smashed her own world record on the way to beating fellow Brit Crystal Lane-Wright

Storey became the first woman to smash through the three-and-a-half minute barrier

That would make the road race a week today a potentially momentous moment for the 43-year-old.

Her preparation for Tokyo has included three weeks in warm-weather training in Lanzarote without strictly no air condition in her accommodation. That was her way of preparing for the Tokyo heat.

Storey reeled in New Zealander Nicole Murray after two and a half minutes in the qualifying run – though that opponent was also operating at a high level, qualifying for the bronze medal race with her time.

Elsewhere, later that day Great Britain won silver in the pool as Reece Dunn finished second in the Men’s S14 100m Butterfly final.

Reece Dunn finished second in the Men’s S14 100m Butterfly final on Wednesday to take silver

The world-record holder powered his way into the final, qualifying quickest from the morning’s heats in 55.99 secs – in what was a new Paralympic record.

But despite going even faster in the final, completing the race in 55.14 secs, it was only good enough for silver and to deny the 25-year-old his first Paralympic title.

Brazilian Gabriel Bandiera took the gold medal with a new Paralympic record time of 54.76 secs, with Dunn finishing second, and the bronze medal going to Benjamin Hance of Australia. 

Dunn congratulates Brazilian Gabriel Bandiera after the latter took the gold medal