KEY POINTS
- Emily Petricola defended her own world record to retain her Paralympic gold medal in the 3,000m individual pursuit.
- Queenslander Korey Boddington also won gold in the men’s C4-5 1000m time trial.
- Jessica Gallagher, assisted by rider Caitlin Ward, won silver in the women’s B 1000m time trial.
Joyful Emily Petricola defended her own world record to successfully retain her Paralympic gold medal in the 3,000m individual pursuit.
On a triumphant Friday afternoon for Australia at the Vélodrome national de Paris, Petricola’s medal was complemented by a gold for Queenslander Korey Boddington in the men’s C4-5 1,000 time trial m and Jessica Gallagher took silver in the women’s B 1000m time trial.
Assisted by pilot Caitlin Ward, second place meant Gallagher now won four Paralympic medals, two each at the Summer Games and two at the Winter Games.
“I was selected for five Paralympics in eight years early in my career and then I had an eight-year hiatus,” Gallagher said.
“So for us to achieve this performance means everything to me.”
But Petricola stole the show, winning his second consecutive gold medal just 15 minutes after Boddington finished in first place in his first ever Paralympic race.
Petricola had said she was in medal mood earlier in the day when she set a world record of 3:35.856 in her qualifying run.
And the 44-year-old kept her promise, beating New Zealander Anna Taylor before being mobbed by family and friends.
“The last eight weeks have been very difficult with MS [multiple sclerosis] so it wasn’t a guarantee for me,” Petricola said.
“This one caused a lot of muscle spasms in my back, my left leg, then my neck…my abdominal area – all of that went away.
“We had to manage my load just to make sure my leg turned on the bike and I kept telling myself that my body is trained for that, to go on autopilot and achieve that.
“I feel incredibly proud…I sang [the anthem] completely out of tune but I refuse to apologize for it.”
Petricola’s victory marked a replaceable quarter-hour period for Australia which was kicked off by Boddington winning gold.
Like Petricola, Boddington was at the top of the standings during qualifying and he too was able to translate that into his first medal.
“If I had worked as hard as I did today, I probably would have done very well at school,” Boddington joked.
“It’s amazing…I want to tell kids to follow their dreams and fight for them. You have to aim for the stars.”
