Sarah Storey wins 19th Paralympic gold and refuses to rule out LA 2028 return

In a win for women in their middle years, 46-year-old Dame Sarah Storey caught up to and beat a 19-year-old French athlete, Heïdi Gaugain, in a close finish to win the women's C4-5 road race by a small margin in the final two kilometers in Clichy-sous-Bois.

Storey won her second gold medal at the Paralympics, following her victory in the time trial earlier in the week. This brings her total number of gold medals to an incredible 19, earned over the course of nine games starting with Barcelona in 1992. She has now won gold in four consecutive road races, in London, Rio, Tokyo, and most recently, Paris.

Storey doesn't give in to her age very often, but she did acknowledge that her muscles were really feeling the effects of the race and her body was making some noise. Despite these challenges, she believes in finding ways to handle and appreciate the experience of aging as an athlete.

From the beginning of the race, Storey and Gaugain were at the front of the pack, speeding past the flats with the colorful window boxes, excited schoolchildren, waving French flags, surprised dog walkers, and overgrown grass on the autumn verges in Clichy-sous-Bois. The race consisted of seven laps through Seine-Saint-Denis totaling 14.2 km. Throughout the race, helicopters could be heard overhead and the gendarmes on their motorcycles remained focused ahead.

However, towards the end of the race, it came down to Storey and Gaugain. When Gaugain pulled ahead with less than two kilometers left, there was speculation that Storey's age was starting to affect her performance. She fell behind, but continued to pedal vigorously in her dark blue outfit. Ha!

"In the previous lap, one of her coaches yelled from across the road: 'Next lap on the left,' so I checked our position to be prepared," Storey explained. "When he said 'Go,' I started as well. Heïdi created a slight gap, which was expected given her strong acceleration. I had some momentum as I anticipated it, and now it was about keeping up with her as she continued to speed up."

"The race was tough, but I knew my strategy was to rely on my quick sprint. As we approached the final corner together, I made my move. Even though my competitor tried to catch up with frantic pedaling, I was able to stay ahead and win by using a strong finish."

"The important thing is to not fear losing a bike race. I am not afraid of losing a bike race, I need to have confidence in myself and not overanalyze things. Sometimes, I just need to trust my instincts. When I race, I focus on giving my best performance. Each time I line up at the startline, I am putting myself out there. I will keep pushing myself to find ways to win bike races. I hope to continue this trend in the future."

Her race in Tokyo was the closest she's ever experienced in her Paralympic career on the road. In London, she won by eight minutes, and in Rio, she won by six. Winning by just 30 seconds in Tokyo was incredibly thrilling for her. Heïdi, her competitor, is only 19 years old. Reflecting on her own experiences at 19, she had just returned from Atlanta with her fifth gold medal as a swimmer and was in the best shape of her life. She knows she still has some speed left in her as a 46-year-old, but she understands the importance of using it wisely.

Sad Gaugain appeared very upset when she realized what had happened, hardly showing any happiness even when she was on the podium, even though the crowd across the street was very excited. This is her third silver medal of the Games, as she also came in second place to Storey in the time trial. Storey was also asked about Los Angeles.

"I want to savor this moment. As Simone Biles once said, 'Never say never to anything.' It's still sinking in; this was one of the most thrilling races we've ever seen." And what motivates her to keep pushing forward? "Milestones like the one in the final kilometer." Gaugain may have some competition ahead.