Tokyo 2020 - Jaco van Gass turns on afterburners to win Paralympic gold on successful day for Britain's cyclists
/dnl.eurosport.com/sd/img/placeholder/eurosport_logo_1x1.png){kind=logo}
Updated 26/08/2021 at 12:15 GMT
Van Gass finished over a second quicker than his ParalympicsGB team-mate Fin Graham to win the C3 3000m individual pursuit title. Rio 2016 champion Jody Cundy had to settle for silver in the C4-5 time trial, while veteran Aileen McGlynn also finished second with her pilot Helen Scott in the women's B 1000m time trial.
Jaco van Gass won Britain's second Paralympic cycling gold of the Tokyo 2020 Games
Image credit: Getty Images
Jaco van Gass came out on top in a battle of the British cyclists to win his first Paralympic gold ahead of Finlay Graham at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.
The 35-year-old won the C3 3000m individual pursuit by a comfortable margin of over a minute, after both athletes broke the world record to qualify for the gold medal race.
South African-born van Gass, who suffered life changing injuries when he was hit by a rocket propelled grenade on his British Army tour of Afghanistan in 2009, was competing at his first Games, as was 21-year-old Graham.
The team-mates showed no sign of animosity at the finish, embracing by the side of the track, and both will go again for further medals, with Van Gass going for glory in five disciplines.
Van Gass has a remarkable story, becoming an elite athlete having lost his left arm at the elbow, while he also sustained a collapsed left lung, shrapnel wounds to his left side, punctured internal organs, blast wounds to upper thigh, a broken tibia and a fractured knee while serving in the British Armed Forces.
10-time Paralympic medallist Jody Cundy, competing at his seventh Games across swimming and cycling, was not able to match his C 4-5 time trial gold from five years ago in Rio, settling for silver behind Alfonso Cabello.
48-year-old Aileen McGlynn, who only reunited with her pilot Helen Scott 12 weeks ago, won her seventh Paralympic medal with silver in the B 1000m time trial.
Scan me
Related Topics
Share this article
Advertisement
Advertisement