Dame Sarah Storey to make history in Paris by competing at ninth Paralympics
The GB cycling squad contains seven reigning Paralympic champions
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Your support makes all the difference.Dame Sarah Storey will become the first British athlete to compete at nine Paralympic Games after being named in a 17-strong cycling team for Paris 2024.
The 46-year-old surpassed former swimmer Mike Kenny as GB’s most successful Paralympian at Tokyo 2020 by winning a trio of golds to take her career total to 17.
Fellow reigning Paralympic champions Kadeena Cox, Jody Cundy, Lora Fachie, Neil Fachie, Jaco van Gass and Ben Watson are also in a squad containing six Games debutants.
“Competing in nine Games is a dream I didn’t ever have,” said Storey, who will defend her C5 time trial and C4-5 road race titles in France.
“As a teenager, I wanted to be an athlete for as long as I possibly could but always assumed I’d be too old by 46!
“I’ve got such a great support around me, led by my brilliant husband Barney and am very excited to pull on ParalympicsGB kit again.”
World title holders Archie Atkinson, Fran Brown, Blaine Hunt, Lizzi Jordan and Daphne Schrager will make maiden Paralympic appearances, in addition to fellow newcomer Matt Robertson.
Two-time Paralympic champion Steve Bate, Tokyo silver medalists Fin Graham and Sophie Unwin, and Commonwealth champion James Ball complete the selection.
Track cycling will be staged from August 29 to September 1 at Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines Velodrome, while road events will take place between September 4 and 7, beginning in the suburb of Clichy-sous-Bois.
ParalympicsGB’s cyclists enjoyed their most successful Games in Japan, winning 24 medals, with every rider securing at least one podium place.
British Cycling performance director Stephen Park said: “The strength and depth across our team is unmatched.
“We have Dame Sarah Storey and Jody Cundy competing at their ninth and eighth Games respectively, plus new talent including Archie Atkinson and Lizzie Jordan who are ready to show the world what they can achieve.
“ParalympicsGB has a strong history of cycling success and I am confident that this Games will continue that trend of medal-winning performances to hopefully inspire those watching at home to get on a bike and find the joy of cycling.”
PA