3 months ago
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Daphne Schrager and Steve Bate won Great Britain's first medals of the 2024 Paralympics in the track cycling, after team-mate Kadeena Cox earlier crashed out of her final.
Schrager took silver in the women's C1-3 3000m individual pursuit, while Bate and pilot Chris Latham also came second, in the men's B 4000m individual pursuit final.
Cox did not finish in the final of the women's C4-5 500m time trial, as the British athlete missed out on the first gold medal of the Games.
Four-time Paralympic champion Cox had qualified second fastest for the final in Paris but endured a bad start in the medal race, and slipped as she tried to correct herself before hitting the velodrome track on the first corner.
Schrager, world champion in her discipline, then hoped to pick up GB's first gold but had to settle for silver after being dominated by Xiaomei Wang of China in the final.
Wang finished nearly 10 seconds ahead of Schrager and almost lapped her, in the process of setting a new world record.
Schrager, 23, is world champion at C2 level but on her Paralympic debut could not find a way to gold in the combined category competed at these Games.
Schrager was nevertheless delighted with a debut Games medal, and said: "Honestly it's just mesmerising, I've dreamed of this since I was a kid. I'll be looking at it [her medal] for years to come.
"My coach said to me, 'four years' time you will have that gold', we've made that pact now."
Schrager had a surprise bonus too, when she received her medal from cinema legend Jackie Chan on the podium.
"It was just insane!" she said. "He's been in so many movies, I was just like, 'oh my god you're real'.
"I promised my mum I wouldn't cry on the podium, then I did - one of those things."
In day one's final track event, Bate and Latham finished 2.2 seconds behind world record holders Tristan Bangma and Patrick Bos of the Netherlands, who retained the Paralympic title they won in Tokyo.
Bate had earlier taken the world record from Bangma in qualifying, only for the Dutchman to snatch it back by riding a second quicker before cruising to gold.
It is nevertheless an impressive showing from 47-year-old Bate, twice a Paralympic champion and now a five-time medallist in possibly his final Games.
"Everything has been geared towards this event, I haven't thought much beyond that," he said, when asked if he will go for LA 2028.
"If this is my last event, a hell of a way to go out. I haven't made any decisions about that. I'll get the two road events out the way, take some time off and see where we are at."
It was a dramatic afternoon in the velodrome after Cox - who has multiple sclerosis and suffered a calf injury in the build-up to the Games - had to be helped off the track by support staff.
The 33-year-old was not allowed to restart, as rules brought in before these Games only permit a second attempt if there is a mechnical fault with a bike.
"It was a weird one. I didn't feel comfortable in the gate, my right side is my weak side - I just over-compensated and couldn't balance on my weaker side, I was all over the shop," Cox told Channel 4.
Dutch rider Caroline Groot won the first gold of the Games in a time of 35.566 seconds.
Hosts France picked up their first medal as Marie Patouillet took silver, with Canada’s Katie O’Brien winning bronze.
Reigning world champion Cox had looked strong in qualifying, recording 35.436 seconds – the second quickest overall after Groot, and ultimately faster than the time the Dutch athlete rode in the medal final.
Cox has previously been dominant in this event, having won gold at the 2016 and 2020 Paralympics - but found only heartbreak here.
She was visibly emotional and unsteady on her feet as she was helped from the track, before being embraced and comforted by GB staff.
However, BBC Sport has been told that Cox has not sustained a significant injury, whether new or to her previously problematic calf.
"I got back on the bike two weeks ago. It has been a rubbish year, this time last year I couldn't walk as I had a relapse which effected my right side - I guess that's MS," she said.
"The fact I got here is amazing."
She may be able to come back and compete for a medal later in the Games, with the mixed C1-5 team sprint taking place on Sunday.
