Another day of the Paralympic Track Cycling and another day of total domination by the British team. Of the four gold medals up for grabs, British riders took three only because they had no entrant in the fourth in which the gold went to the United States.
By the end of the day five more world records had been set and the Paralympic Track Cycling world marveled at the overall results. Wednesday's records bring to 17 the number established or broken during the last four days at the Laoshan Velodrome.
Barbara Buchan of the United States was the first of the day's record-breakers, setting a new CP3 mark on her way to beating Germany's Natalie Simanowski for the gold in the Women's Individual Pursuit (LC3-4/CP3). Simanowski broke the LC3 record for the event and was awarded a silver medal.
Then came the British gold rush, started by Sarah Storey, storming back in the Women's Individual Pursuit (LC1-2/CP4) to rip four seconds off the LC1 world record she set in the qualifying round to snatch the gold from Jennifer Schuble of the United States by centimeters.
China was guaranteed a bronze with the third place being fought out between teammates Dong Jingping and Ye Yaping, both in the LC2 class, with Dong overcoming her compatriot racing a full five seconds faster.
Storey's win inspired the British men and up stepped Anthony Kappes and his pilot Barney Storey to make it double gold for the pair by beating their Australian opponents to the title in the Men's Sprint (B&VI 1-3) final, adding to the gold they won in the Men's 1km Time Trial (B&VI 1-3) on Monday, September 8.
Finally, it was left to the Men's Sprint team to make the day complete. Brimming with gold medals and world records, the British team of double gold medalist Darren Kenny and single title winners Jody Cundy and Mark Bristow overcame surprise finalists China in the Men's Team Sprint (LC1-4 CP3/4) to make it 12 out of 12 gold medals and a clean sweep for Britain.
The China trio of Zhang Kuidong, Zhang Lu and Zheng Yuanchao proved surprisingly tough competitors for the British trio and pushed them all the way losing ground only on the final lap to cross the line for the silver less than a second behind.
Britain's win made Kenny an overall triple gold winner, Cundy and Bristow join their teammate Simon Ricardson as double gold medalists and brings Britain a unique Paralympic first - a gold medal clean-sweep. The team's men and women have taken the gold in every event they've entered, setting a total of 11 world records along the way.
Few superlatives can describe this magnificent team which has raised the bar to a completely new height in world Paralympic track cycling.
(BOCOG September 10, 2008)