Dame Sarah Storey claimed her 18th Paralympic gold medal in the women’s C5 time trial in Paris on Wednesday, but expressed frustration over a decision by organizers to shorten the event.
Storey, who has accumulated 29 medals since her Paralympic debut in 1992, finished the race in a time of 20 minutes and 22.15 seconds, beating France's Heidi Gaugain by 4.69 seconds, while Australia's Alana Forster came in third.
The race was cut to 14.1 km due to scheduling constraints, which meant women raced half the distance of the men’s event later that day.
It's the shortest Paralympic time trial we've ever had. It's disappointing not to showcase Para sport as it deserves. I hope this never happens again.
Sarah Storey
Storey started her Paralympic career in swimming before switching to cycling, where she remains undefeated in all 13 races since her debut in 2008. Her achievements include winning 16 medals in swimming before her cycling success.