Sarah Storey officially selected for ninth Paralympic Games

Seventeen-time gold medallist Dame Sarah Storey will compete in her ninth Paralympic Games next month.

The 46-year-old, who won three gold medals in Tokyo in 2021, has been officially announced as part of the 23-rider Team GB squad for the Paris Games, which was revealed today by British Cycling.

Alongside Storey, track cyclist Jody Cundy will make his eighth appearance at the Paralympics, while tandem riders Neil and Lora Fachie have also been selected, together with their respective pilots.

Storey will defend her time trial and road race titles in the C5 category in Paris. At the last Paralympics, she became Great Britain's most successful Paralympian of all time ; she made her debut as a swimmer in 1992, before first competing as a cyclist in 2008.

"I couldn't have imagined going to eight Games, let alone winning medals at every Games, and 17 of those medals being gold," she said in 2021.

In a recent interview with the International Paralympic Committee , Storey said she now feels "as fit as I have ever been" going into her ninth Games. "For me, it would be amazing to win again and say I have won medals at nine consecutive summer Games. I don't think anyone has ever done that," she said.

Also a former swimmer, Cundy's eighth Paralympic appearance will see him compete in the C4-5 kilometre time trial, an event in which he has won 15 consecutive world titles, and the mixed team sprint.

The 45-year-old was part of the trio that won gold in the team sprint in Tokyo, setting the world record in the final.

"I think getting to Paris is an achievement in itself," the eight-time Paralympic gold medallist told Cycling Weekly earlier this year. "If I still love the sport, and I'm still capable of doing it, I will keep doing it. As long as GB still want me on the squad, I will keep doing it."

The track cycling events at the Paris Paralympics will take place between 29 August and 1 September. They will be followed by the road cycling events, held between 4 and 7 September.

The full Team GB cycling squad is listed below.

Team GB Paralympics squad

Men’s B

James Ball piloted by Steffan Lloyd – MB 1,000m time-trial, MB individual pursuit

Steve Bate piloted by Chris Latham – MB individual pursuit, MB road race, MB time-trial

Neil Fachie piloted by Matt Rotherham - MB 1,000m time-trial, MB individual pursuit

Men’s C2

Matt Robertson – C2 individual pursuit, C2 time-trail, C1-3 road race

Men’s C3

Fin Graham - C1-3 1,000m time-trial, C3 individual pursuit, mixed team sprint, C3 time-trial, C1-3 road race

Jaco van Gass – C1-3 1,000m time-trial, C3 individual pursuit, C3 time-trial, C1-3 road race

Ben Watson - C3 time-trial, C1-3 road race

Men’s C4

Archie Atkinson – C4 individual pursuit, C4-5 1,000m time-trial, C4 time-trial, C4-5 road race

Jody Cundy – C4-5 1,000m time-trial, mixed team sprint

Men’s C5

Blaine Hunt - C5 individual pursuit, C4-5 1,000m time-trial, C4-5 road race

Women’s B

Lora Fachie piloted by Corrine Hall – WB 1,000m time-trial, WB individual pursuit, WB time-trial, WB road race

Lizzi Jordan piloted by Danni Khan - WB 1,000m time-trial, WB individual pursuit, WB time-trial, WB road race

Sophie Unwin piloted by Jenny Holl - WB 1,000m time-trial, WB individual pursuit, WB time-trial, WB road race

Women’s C1

Fran Brown – C1-3 time-trial, C1-3 road race, C1-3 time-trial

Women’s C2

Daphne Schrager – C1-3 individual pursuit, C1-3 road race, C1-3 time-trial

Women’s C4

Kadeena Cox – C4-5 time-trial, mixed team sprint

Women’s C5

Dame Sarah Storey – C5 time-trial, C4-5 road race