• London Paralympics 2012

Storey equals British record with 11th gold

Sarah Storey has won four golds at the Games © PA Photos

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Sarah Storey has moved level with Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson on 11 Paralympic golds, a British female record, after winning the C4-5 road race at Brands Hatch on Thursday.

The gold was her fourth of the London Games - and 22nd medal overall - adding to victories in the women's road cycling time trial, and the C5 pursuit and 500m time trial on the track.

"To be even on the same page as Tanni, to have won 11 is just a dream come true," she told Channel 4. "I don't know if it will ever sink in."

Storey underlined her superiority by triumphing by a massive margin, finishing seven minutes and 22 seconds ahead of Poland's Anna Harkowska in second, with Kelly Crowley of the United States third.

In the pool, Josef Craig became Britain's youngest gold medallist of the Games, setting a new world record in the process as he triumphed in the S7 400m freestyle final. The 15-year-old clocked a time of 4:42.81, admitting afterwards: "I was quite shocked when I looked around and saw the time!"

Susie Rodgers claimed bronze - Britain's 100th medal of the Games - in the women's S7 400m freestyle, while Stephanie Millward and Louise Watkin took silver and bronze respectively behind Natalie du Toit in the women's SM9 200m individual medley. Heather Frederiksen later added silver in the S8 100m freestyle to make it five medals for GB's swimmers - 36 overall.

On the track, Hannah Cockroft sparked the first explosion of noise inside the Olympic Stadium on Thursday evening, winning the wheelchair T34 200m in a Paralympic record. Cockroft's time of 31.90 was over two seconds quicker than her nearest rival.

David Weir later made it a hat-trick of gold medals at the 2012 Games by winning the T54 800m title. Weir had already won the 5000m and 1500m crowns, and he dragged his body through one more torturous race to seal a marvellous treble.

Weir, arguably the British face of the Games, found himself in danger of being boxed in as the field moved up the back straight. But as they came round the final bend he edged slowly but surely into the lead to spark yet more jubilant scenes at the Olympic scenes.

Ben Rushgrove took bronze in the men's T36 200m, recording a personal best time of 24.83. There was bronze too for Paul Blake in the T36 800m, as well as Ola Abidogun in the T46 100m.

Helena Lucas won gold and Alexandra Rickham and Niki Birrell bronze as Britain grabbed its first Paralympic sailing medals in Weymouth. Lucas was first in the 2.4mR class, nine points ahead of Germany's Heiko Kroger.

Meanwhile, Britain's Beverly Jones took her first medal at her fourth Paralympics, winning bronze in the F37 discus. Her previous best was fourth in the shot put eight years ago.

"I am very happy. It was worth the wait to get a medal in the end," she said. "I have worked hard for it in the discus. I had to have faith in myself and keep cool, and I managed to do that with my last throw."

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