Team GB Paralympics gold medallist Jaco van Gass reveals how a horror car crash left him fearing his Games were OVER – before smashing his own world record in Paris

Jaco van Gass, the British Afghanistan war hero turned Paralympian cycling champion, revealed after powering to gold on Friday that he was hospitalised when a car hit him in Paris last week.

Van Gass smashed his own world record en route to successfully defending the men’s C3 3,000m individual pursuit title. 

He then revealed his Games were in jeopardy when the crash resulted in him being taken to hospital by ambulance, with head and knee injuries.

‘We did a recce of the road of the time-trial course last Friday and there was a car that pulled out in front of me, didn’t see me and I went flying over the bonnet, the 38-year-old revealed. ‘I was heartbroken. 

‘I was literally, “this could be my Paralympics done”. I had a big cut to my head. The next day is the hardest because that’s when your body is at its most pain. I thought it was over.’

Van Gass smashed his own world record en route to successfully defending the men’s C3 3,000m individual pursuit title on Friday

The Team GB star revealed his Games were in jeopardy when the crash resulted in him being taken to hospital by ambulance

Medics found no concussion and Van Gass, who lost his left arm at the elbow after being hit by a rocket-propelled grenade while serving with the Parachute Regiment in 2009, was back on his bike within two days. 

It left him free to proceed to a final showdown on Friday with Fin Graham, who took silver in a competition which saw both of them set world records. Graham broke the record in his heat. 

But Van Gass snatched it back in his own — then won their final by a margin of more than four seconds. He adds this medal to the two golds and bronze he won on debut at Tokyo 2020.

Friday’s gold adds to the two golds and bronze he won on his debut at Tokyo 2020

‘Coming in here was a lot more pressure on me to try to retain that title,’ said Van Gass. ‘More pressure on myself, not from anyone else.’

Lizzi Jordan, who lost her eyesight after contracting a rare strain of E. coli, claimed gold in the women’s B1 1,000m time trial, on her Games debut, piloted by Danni Khan.

‘Sport has given me a sense of purpose. It’s saved me really,’ said Jordan. ‘I love the sense of freedom cycling gives me. 

‘I need a guide walking round so life is a bit slower now. So shooting around the velodrome at 50-60kmph gives me that sense of speed again.’