Sensational Saturday as ParalympicsGB add to medal tally
Kadeena Cox completed a remarkable double in Rio as she added women's para-cycling C4-5 500m time trial gold to her 100m T38 bronze won just 24 hours earlier on the athletics track.
She becomes the first British Paralympian to win medals in two different sports at the Games since Isabel Newstead, who won shooting bronze and athletics silver and bronze at the 1988 Games in Seoul.
She said:
“I can’t sum it up, I can’t believe it, I’m so happy. I’ve worked so hard for it, my legs were knackered from yesterday. Doing the two sports, taking up cycling and being on top of the world, is amazing. It’s crazy. This time two years ago, I was having a relapse, I got rediagnosed and I was going into hospital. I’m so glad to have done it just to show other people with multiple sclerosis and other conditions that you can do amazing things.”
ParalympicsGB added three golds, one silver and two bronze to their medal tally on day three in Rio.
Andy Lewis made history as the first ever para-triathlon gold medallist while Hannah Cockcroft retained her 100m T34 title - one of five medals won at the Olympic Stadium.
She was followed home by Kare Adenegan who claimed silver before Toby Gold and Andrew Small won silver and bronze respectively in the men’s T33 100m while Sabina Fortune won bronze in the F20 shot put.
ParalympicsGB are currently second in the medal table behind China although they have no intention of slowing down on day four.
Reigning champion Richard Whitehead, fresh from breaking the Paralympic record on Saturday, and David Henson will be looking for medals in the men’s 200m T42 final in the Olympic Stadium.
And there will be a first Rio 2016 appearance for six-time Paralympic gold medallist David Weir in the men’s 400m T54 heats.
ParalympicsGB flagbearer and equestrian rider Lee Pearson, who has ten Paralympic medals of his own, begins his Rio campaign and will be the third rider up.
Wimbledon champion Gordon Reid begins his Paralympic wheelchair tennis tournament and is in singles action against Sweden’s Dan Wallin while he will also pair up with Alfie Hewett in the men’s doubles.
Neil Fachie and pilot Pete Mitchell are hoping to add to the six gold medals already won in the velodrome in the men’s kilo as Jody Cundy goes for his second gold of the Rio Games when he teams up with Jon-Allan Butterworth and Louis Rolfe in the team sprint.
In the pool, 18-year-old Amy Marren will go in the SM9 200m individual medley heat and Stephanie Millward starts her women’s 100m freestyle S8 campaign having won bronze on Thursday.
It’s the women’s turn in the triathlon as Lauren Steadman looks to win gold in the PT4 category while in the PT5 category, world champions Alison Patrick and guide Hazel Smith will also compete.
Sunday will also see the rowing finals at the Lagoa Stadium with ParalympicsGB represented in four classes.
In the table tennis, Will Bayley, Sue Gilroy, and Robert Davies are all in semi-final action while Bacup’s Stewart Nangle will compete in the mixed 25m pistol qualification.
The ParalympicsGB men and women wheelchair basketball teams will continue their campaigns against Germany and Brazil respectively.
ParalympicsGB will go also be in archery action in the Mixed Team Recurve Open quarter finals and there are BC4 and BC3 mixed pairs group games for the Boccia team against Hong Kong and Singapore respectively plus a mixed team BC1-2 quarter against Thailand.
