| Venue: Tokyo, Japan Events: August 24-September 5 Time in Tokyo: BST +8 |
| Cover: Follow on Radio 5 Live and on the BBC Sports website |
Neil Fachie said it was “beyond our dreams” after he and his wife Lora both won Paralympic gold within 16 minutes of the track cycling coming to an end.
There was also gold for the mixed team sprint Kadeena Cox and Jaco van Gass winning her second title in Tokyo and Jody Cundy claimed his eighth Paralympic career win.
Neil and Pilot Matt Rotherham broken their own world record to beat teammates James Ball and Lewis Stewart for gold in the B 1000m time trial.
They beat their old time of 59.278 seconds with a new mark of 58.038 to give Neil his second Paralympic gold after winning with Barney Storey in London in 2012.
And shortly afterwards Lora and Corrine Hall successfully retained her B 3,000m pursuit crown.
The pair qualified the quickest for the final, also set a world record and finished the final with the British. almost two seconds ahead of the Irish Katie-George Dunlevy and Eve McCrystal Sophie Unwin and Jenny Holl Win bronze.
The sprint team had qualified second fastest for their decision to face China, and after Cox put down a brilliant opening lap to give them a narrow lead, first Van Gass and then Cundy kept the pressure to win by 0.106 seconds.
There was too a second gold medal for swimmer Maisie Summers-Newton when she finished fourth with her teammate Ellie Simmonds after winning the SM6 200m individual medley on Thursday by winning the SB6-100m breaststroke final.
Share the moment together
Lora and Neil Fachie hug after their award ceremony at the Izu Velodrom
Neil and Lora had mixed experiences in London 2012 and Rio 2016, with Tokyo the first Paralympics were brought to the top step of the podium at the same games.
Neil, 37, started his career as a sprinter in Beijing before switching to his bike and winning gold and silver in London and silver in Rio. Lora, 32, could not win a medal in London, but four years later she won gold and bronze with Hall.
“We both said at the beginning of the day, whatever happens, let’s just have fun,” said Neil.
“We knew that this day would be our big one. It was the same in Rio: Lora got gold, I got silver. Back in London I got gold and missed Lora. Finally we both made it.” together, and breaking the world record too, is beyond our dreams.
“Of course we’re happy for each other, but when you’re the one to win it’s harder because you know how much the other one hurts. But this time we can both enjoy it.”
Lora was born with an inherited eye disease. When she was five years old, she lost her eyesight and had to leave the guide dog Tai at home while she traveled to Tokyo.
Despite her vision loss, she is an avid cook and writes a food blog in her spare time.
“We want everyone to win, but it doesn’t change anything if we don’t. It was great to see Neil and to drive an absolutely great time,” she said.
“It is much more stressful to watch someone who is dear to you than to do it yourself.”
While Neil’s Paralympic program is over, Lora will be back in the tandem road race on Tuesday and the time trial on Friday.
GB wheelchair rugby team set for final
the Wheelchair rugby Team reached their first Paralympic final with an exciting 55-49 win about hosts and world champions Japan and will face either Australia or the USA on Sunday (10:00 CEST).
Elsewhere, defending champion of table tennis class 7 Will Bayley is guaranteed at least silver after saving the match point to defeat China’s Liao Keli 3-2 and advance to Sunday’s final. There are bronzes for Tom Matthews (Class 1), Jack Hunter-Spivey (Grade 5) and Paul Karabardak (Grade 6) who all lost their semifinals.
Micky Yule, who lost his legs while serving in the British Army in Afghanistan in 2010, won bronze in powerlifting -72 kg.
And wheelchair fencers Dimitri Coutya won his third bronze medal – this time in the Foil B event.
But GB was no joy on the opening day of the triathlon Fran Brown Fourth in the women’s PT2 event and the same result for Alison Peasgood and leaders Nikki Bartlett at the women’s PTVI race. In the men’s PTVI race there was heartbreak for Dave Ellis and leaders Luke Pollard who suffered a broken bicycle chain.
