• London Paralympics 2012

Whitehead takes world-record gold

ESPN staff
September 1, 2012
Richard Whitehead will also compete in the T42 100m © PA Photos
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Great Britain's Richard Whitehead broke his own world record to take gold in the T42 200m at the Paralympics on Saturday.

Whitehead, 36, stormed to victory in a time of 24.38 seconds, and will hope to add another when he competes in the T42 100m.

"I have an amazing team behind me," he said. "Today was about giving back a performance suitable for a GB vest."

At the Velodrome, Britain's Neil Fachie and Barney Storey won tandem gold with a world record time of 1:01.35. Fachie and Storey outclassed the field in the blind and visually impaired 1km time trial, although team-mates Anthony Kappes and Craig MacLean suffered a mechanical failure.

"The bike has let us down today and sometimes it is just one of those things, and sometimes it is something you cannot control," Kappes told BBC Radio 5 Live sports extra. "Mechanically it is very difficult for the bikes to deal with the torque we put through them at the start, which is more than a sports car."

Storey's wife, Sarah Storey, also tasted gold as she picked up her second title of the Games in the C4-5 500m individual time trial. Having already won the individual pursuit earlier in the week, Storey saw off USA's Jennifer Schuble in a time of 36.997 seconds.

Jon-Allan Butterworth picked up silver in the men's C5 4,000m individual pursuit final. Butterworth, who lost his left arm during a rocket attack in Iraq, was beaten by Michael Gallagher of Australia.

And Jody Cundy, who made the headlines when he launched into a foul-mouthed rant on Friday, returned to take bronze in the men's C4 individual pursuit.

Elsewhere, Natasha Baker, riding Cabral, added another gold for Britain in the individual championship test grade 2 in equestrian. There was also success for Ellie Simmonds in the pool and a new world record for Oscar Pistorius on the track.

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