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Dame Sarah Storey wins record-breaking 12th Paralympic gold

Records tumble in the velodrome as Storey, Megan Giglia, Steve Bate and pilot Adam Duggleby win gold on first night of track cycling

Dame Sarah Storey became Britain’s most decorated female Paralympian as records tumbled in the velodrome on the opening night of the Rio 2016 Games.

Storey, 38, won gold in the C5 3,000m individual pursuit, catching fellow Brit Crystal Lane after 1,375m of the final, to win her 12th Paralympic gold medal, and 23rd medal in all.

Now in her seventh Games, having made her Olympic debut at Barcelona 1992 as a swimmer, Storey smashed her own world record in the heats as she stopped the clock in 3.31.294.

Dame Sarah Storey has now won more gold medals than any other British female Paralympian (pic: Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com)

And, with Lane qualifying second fastest, in 3.48.802, to guarantee a British one-two, Storey continued her fine form in the final – catching her compatriot after less than half the distance had been raced.

Storey’s was one of three British track cycling gold medals as the Rio 2016 Paralympics got underway where the Olympic Games had finished – with the Brits on top in the velodrome.

Megan Giglia won Britain’s first gold of the Games earlier in the evening, setting a new world record of 4.03.544 in the C1-3 3,000m individual pursuit heats before backing that up in the final as she caught American opponent Jamie Whitmore after 1,750m.

And Steve Bate and pilot Adam Duggleby were also celebrating a world record and gold medal success in the B 4,000m tandem pursuit.

Riding against Australia in their heat, they edged in front at the halfway point and carried their form to the finish to stop the clock in 4.08.146.

In the final, the duo faced Dutch pair Vincent Ter Schure and pilot Timo Fransen and the Brits’ time of 4.08.631 was enough to ensure a third British gold medal on the opening night.

Megan Giglia won Britain’s first gold of the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, winning the C1-3 individual pursuit (pic: Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com)

The track cycling events continue until Sunday (September 11), with Sophie Thornhill, Kadeena Cox, Jody Cundy and Jon-Allan Butterworth among the Brits in action.

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