https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Storey
Britain’s Sarah Storey criticized the Paris Paralympics cycling time trial course as “appalling” after winning her 18th Games gold medal.
Sarah Storey achieved her fifth consecutive victory in the women’s road event at the Paralympics, competing on a C5 race course that measured only 14.1km. This marks the first time she has participated in a Games course shorter than 22km.
Storey is among 13 British cyclists taking part in road time trials on Wednesday. Her teammate, Fran Brown, earned a silver medal in the women’s C1-3 category.
After defeating French competitor Heidi Gaugain, Storey revealed that athletes had raised concerns with the Games organisers regarding the length of the women’s race but had not received any feedback.
“It’s a short race. This is the shortest Paralympic time trial we have ever had, and I think it’s a real shame because we don’t get to showcase Para-sport the way we want to,” Storey commented.
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Storey emphasized the need for parity in women’s cycling, expressing her disappointment that this race did not meet the expected standards. “You’ll have to ask the organisers. There’s plenty of time in the day for us to do two laps like the men. Having fought so hard for equality, not having it is truly disappointing.”
She mentioned that she had to set aside her frustrations and focus on what she could control, acknowledging that the race distance was beyond her influence. “I hope they never do this to the women again, because it has been appalling,” she stated.
Storey noted that the course was a challenging 10km, which she practices regularly at home. However, she pointed out that championship events typically require a minimum distance of 22km, as has been the standard in previous Paralympic Games.
Reflecting on past courses, she recalled the exceptional setting in Beijing, the atmosphere at Brands Hatch, the flat but longer route in Rio, and the three-lap motor circuit in Tokyo. “This has been the most disappointing in that sense, given what came before it,” she said.
As the Paris 2024 Paralympics unfold, only one women’s road time trial—the B event for visually impaired athletes—will be contested over a two-lap distance of 28.3km. In contrast, the other six women’s time trials will consist of just one lap of the 14.1km course.
Additionally, five men’s races will also follow the same one-lap format, highlighting the disparity in race lengths between men’s and women’s events.
Storey’s comments reflect the ongoing conversation about equality in sports, particularly in the context of the Paralympics, where athletes strive for recognition and fairness in competition.
