Paralympics day three: Kadeena Cox, Hannah Russell and Reece Dunn win GB golds

Cox retains her cycling time trial title while Russell and Dunn strike swimming gold.

Great Britain’s Kadeena Cox smashed the world record as she retained her C4-5 500m time trial title and there were swimming golds for Hannah Russell and Reece Dunn on day three at the Tokyo Paralympics.

Multi-sport athlete Cox, who won gold in cycling and athletics at Rio 2016, crossed the line in 34.812, which was reduced to a real time of 34.433 due to her being in the lower of the two classifications.

Canadian Kate O’Brien – a fellow C4 rider, who held the previous global best – finished just over a second slower at the Izu Velodrome.

In the pool defending champion Russell held off the challenge of Russian Paralympic Committee rival Daria Pikalova to win the women’s S12 100m backstroke in 1:08.44.

Reece Dunn then claimed his first Paralympic title with gold in the men’s S14 200m freestyle final.

There was further British medals in the pool with Bethany Firth taking silver in the women’s 200m freestyle S14 final behind Valeriia Shabalina of the Russian Paralympic Committee, with Jessica-Jane Applegate taking the bronze. Stephen Clegg claimed a bronze medal in the men’s 100m backstroke S12 final.

Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games – Day Three — Great Britain’s Hannah Russell poses with her gold medal on the podium after winning the women’s 100 metres backstroke S12 final.

Natasha Baker delivered Britain’s final medal of the day, claiming silver in equestrian’s dressage individual test.

Baker scored 76.265 on Keystone Dawn Chorus ahead of Denmark’s Tobias Thorning Jorgensen, who claimed gold on Jolene Hill with 78.971.

Earlier former soldier Jaco Van Gass broke his second world record in as many days but had to settle for third place in the men’s C1-3 1000m time trial.

The Afghanistan veteran, who powered to 3000m individual pursuit gold on Thursday, finished in 1:05.569.

Yet with the event featuring athletes from different classifications, the unprecedented time of C3 athlete Van Gass was not sufficient for another trip to the top of the podium.

That honour went to China’s Li Zhangyu, a C1 rider, whose real time of 1:08.347 was reduced to a factored time of 1:05.569 due to the greater severity of his impairment, with France’s Alexandre Leaute claiming silver.

Maria Lyle delivered a 100m bronze for Great Britain on the track.

Lyle, who took home three medals at the Rio Games, added to Britain’s tally on Friday with third place in the T35 100m.

It was a season’s best 14.18 seconds for the 21-year-old, beaten by China’s Xia Zhou and Australia’s Isis Holt.

Great Britain’s Maria Lyle (centre) in action in the Women’s 100m – T35 Final at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games (John Walton/PA)

Picture of the day

China’s Yongkai Qi struggles to contain his delight after the third lift in the Men’s -59 kg Final — China’s Qi Yongkai struggles to contain his delight after the third lift in the Men’s -59 kg Final (Tim Goode/PA)

Norway’s Salum Ageze Kashafali clearly had energy left to spare after setting a Paralympic record in the T12 100m.

Figure of the day

Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games – Day Two — Jody Cundy will hope to add to his time trial silver when he races in the mixed team sprint with Kadeena Cox and Jaco Van Gass at the Izu Velodrome on Saturday.