Skip to main content
BBC SPORT / PARALYMPICS
Graphics Version | BBC News Home
Sport Homepage | Football | Formula 1 | Olympics | Cricket | Rugby Union | Rugby League | Tennis | Golf | Athletics | Cycling | Motorsport | Boxing | Snooker | Horse Racing | Disability Sport | Other sport... | Sports Personality | TV/Radio Schedule | Sport Academy | Fun and Games | Inside Sport | Northern Ireland | Scotland | Wales
Disability Sport Contents:  Paralympics 2008

13:58 GMT, Sunday, 7 September 2008 14:58 UK

British cyclists win three golds

Britain's cyclists won three gold medals on day one at the Paralympics.

Welshman Simon Richardson, 41, recorded a new LC3/4 1km time-trial world best to win Britain's first gold medal in one minute 14.936 seconds.

Scottish tandem cyclist Aileen McGlynn and her Welsh pilot Ellen Hunter lowered their world record to retain the B&VI 1-3 1km time trial title.

And Darren Kenny, 38, shattered his own CP3 world record by six seconds and later won the men's individual pursuit.

Kenny, from Dorset, who won two gold medals at the Athens Games four years ago, overtook his Spanish rival Javier Ochoa after just 1000 metres of the 3000m race as he set a new best of 3:36.875 secs to reach the final.

PARALYMPICS BLOG
"The Paralympic team is reckoned to be the best in the world"
BBC Sport's Nick Mullins

And in the final, Kenny, who suffers from cerebral palsy, again overtook his opponent, South Korea's Jin Yong-sik, after just 1000m to claim his third Paralympic title.

He said: "It all went according to plan, no problems at all.

"I'm overjoyed and relieved to get the gold - we've put a lot of work into it so it's just the relief that it's done."

Richardson, who competes in a class for riders with impairment in one lower limb who usually pedal with only one leg, or riders with disabilities affecting both legs, said he could not believe he had won the gold.

"I'm totally shocked," he said. "This is a completely unexpected gold medal. This race was really a warm up for the 3km, so I went into it thinking 'Whatever we get'."

Japan's Masaki Fujita finished second, more than 2.3 secs slower than Richardson, while 2004 champion Greg Ball of Australia took bronze with a world record for his LC4 class.

Richardson revealed his bike has been constructed using parts from previous British Olympic winners.

He said: "My bike is Jason Queally's frame and Chris Hoy's handlebars."

McGlynn, who is registered blind, powered to a new world record of 1:09.066 seconds with Hunter to retain the title they won four years ago in Athens.

"We're absolutely delighted to have broken the world record and the Paralympic record," said McGlynn.

"It was a hard ride but we knew we had it in us to do the time."



E-mail this to a friend
Related to this story:

Paralympics day one photos (07 Sep 08 |  Paralympics )
Golden haul for GB on opening day (07 Sep 08 |  Paralympics )
Kindred claims fifth gold in pool (07 Sep 08 |  Paralympics )
Paralympics medal table (03 Sep 08 |  Paralympics )
Results - Sunday 7 September (22 Aug 08 |  Paralympics )
A-Z of Paralympic classification (28 Aug 08 |  Paralympics )
Dazzling show opens Paralympics (06 Sep 08 |  Paralympics )
Paralympics opening ceremony photos (06 Sep 08 |  Paralympics )
Flag-bearer Crates hails ceremony (06 Sep 08 |  Paralympics )
IPC chief hoping for clean Games (06 Sep 08 |  Paralympics )
Pistorius places kit row on hold (05 Sep 08 |  Paralympics )
Paralympics on the BBC (25 Aug 08 |  Paralympics )
GB Paralympic team for Beijing (24 Jul 08 |  Paralympics )

RELATED INTERNET LINKS:
Ouch!
ParalympicsGB
International Paralympic Committee
2008 Beijing Paralympics
Paralympics on the BBC Olympics Blog
Events schedule
Parasport
Wheelpower
English Federation of Disability Sport
Disability Sport Events
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites



SEARCH BBC SPORT: 

Sport Homepage | Football | Formula 1 | Olympics | Cricket | Rugby Union | Rugby League | Tennis | Golf | Athletics | Cycling | Motorsport | Boxing | Snooker | Horse Racing | Disability Sport | Other sport... | Sports Personality | TV/Radio Schedule | Sport Academy | Fun and Games | Inside Sport | Northern Ireland | Scotland | Wales
Disability Sport Contents:  Paralympics 2008

^ Back to top | BBC News Home | BBC Homepage | Feedback | Help | ©