Australia scores first GOLD medal at Tokyo Paralympics cyclist Paige Greco broke world record

Australia scores its first GOLD medal at the Tokyo Paralympics after cyclist Paige Greco broke the world record in her C3 3000m event

• Paige Greco wins Australia’s first gold medal at the Paralympics in Tokyo 
• 24-year-old from South Australia smashed world record in heats by 7 seconds
• Greco beat that time by 2 seconds in the final to win gold in C3 3,000m pursuit
• Teammate Emily Petricola made it consecutive golds in next race with her win 

By Sam McPhee For Daily Mail Australia

Published: 06:22 BST, 25 August 2021 | Updated: 06:36 BST, 25 August 2021

Paige Greco has won Australia’s first gold medal at the Paralympics in Tokyo smashing her own world record in the women’s pursuit.

The 24-year-old from South Australia obliterated the world record by seven seconds in her heat and took another two seconds off that time to win the final of the C3 3,000metre individual pursuit on Wednesday afternoon.

She beat China’s Xiaomei Wang, shocking even herself with the stunning time. 

‘I’m so happy, I just can’t believe it,’ an emotional Greco said through tears following the race. 

Her teammate Emily Petricola then made it back to back gold medals for Australia in the next race, catching American Shawn Morelli to win the women’s C4 individual 3,000m pursuit. 

Paige Greco has won Australia’s first gold medal at the Paralympics in Tokyo smashing her own world record in the women’s pursuit

‘I’m so happy, I just can’t believe it,’ an emotional Greco said through tears following the race

Greco, who has cerebral palsy, finished with a time of 3:50.815 in the final, going past her heat time of 3:52.283.

‘It’s not over yet, I’ve got to recover and go onto the final, but (I’m) very happy,’ she said after breaking the world record in her heat.

‘I went in thinking I’ve just got to stick to the schedule my coaches and I had planned. 

‘I’d been working very hard on that schedule of training. I probably doubted myself a few times, but my coach and the staff, they all really believed in me and pushed me to tell me I do have it in me. I’m so happy.’ 

Her stunning win was followed immediately by another for Australia with Petricola producing a fantastic effort to chase down her American opponent.

Petricola was overcome by tears as her team surrounded her following the win, making it a golden afternoon for the country in the velodrome. 

‘I’m so surprised that that just happened,’ Petricola said.

‘I didn’t know where she was, I had no idea. ‘It’s shocking.’ 

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