Jaco van Gass retains Paralympic title and Lizzi Jordan wins gold in velodrome

Military hero Jaco van Gass won the battle of the Britons to retain his Paralympic crown before compatriot Lizzi Jordan claimed gold on her Games debut.

Afghanistan veteran Van Gass smashed his own world record en route to successfully defending the men’s C3 3000m individual pursuit title in a final showdown with Scottish silver medallist Fin Graham.

Visually-impaired world champion Jordan, who lost her eyesight after contracting a rare strain of E. coli bacteria as a university student, then topped the podium alongside pilot Danni Khan in the women’s B 1000m time trial.

Sophie Unwin and pilot Jenny Holl finished third in that event to cap a successful British day at the velodrome following silver and bronze respectively for Blaine Hunt and Matthew Robertson.

Van Gass, who lost his left arm at the elbow after being hit by a rocket-propelled grenade while serving with the Parachute Regiment in 2009, snatched back the world record in the heats – in a time of 3:15.488 – after briefly losing it to Graham.

The pair then went head-to-head, with the South Africa-born rider again coming out on top – with a winning margin of more than four seconds – to add to the two golds and bronze he won on debut at Tokyo 2020.

Jordan and Khan quickly backed up the British one-two by claiming GB’s fourth gold of the Games, crossing the line in 1:06.976.

Unwin and Holl were behind Australian pair Jessica Gallagher and Caitlin Ward, while two-time Paralympic gold medallist Lora Fachie and her pilot Corrine Hall were pushed into fourth.

Earlier, Hunt outshone team-mates Jody Cundy and Archie Atkinson to win silver in the C4-5 1000m time trial.

The moustachioed 35-year-old was 0.711 of a second faster than race winner Korey Boddington but missed out on gold due to factored time as the Australian has a more severe disability.

“I can walk away knowing I’m the fastest but at the Paralympics it’s fours and fives together and that is the race,” he said. “He’s the best man on the day,

“I’m hungry for more. I just love riding my bike and going fast.”

Five-time Paralympic cycling champion Jody Cundy finished fourth, behind Spanish bronze medallist Alfonso Cabello, while fellow Briton Archie Atkinson was fifth.

Hunt sustained trauma to his right leg during routine knee surgery when a surgeon’s drill slipped and severed his popliteal artery.

He previously worked in television as a control room engineer, including covering the Rio 2016 Olympics.

“This is going through master control rooms where my friends are involved in the broadcast, so that is also a bit special,” said Hunt, who trailed the time of third-placed Cabello until the final half a lap.

Asked about his eye-catching facial hair, he added: “I often get asked how long it’s taken me to grow it and the answer is 35 years.

“And the other bit of canned material I’ve got for you is two handlebars are better than one, obviously!”

Robertson followed Hunt to the podium with third place in the men’s C2 3000m individual pursuit, with French rider Alexandre Leaute a popular winner.

Published: 30/08/2024 by Radio NewsHub

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