Schrager and Bate win first GB Paralympics medals after Cox crash

Daphne Schrager and Steve Bate won Great Britain’s first medals of the 2024 Paralympics in the track cycling, after team-mate Kadeena Cox earlier crashed out of her final.

Schrager took silver in the women’s C1-3 3000m individual pursuit, while Bate and pilot Chris Latham also came second, in the men’s B 4000m individual pursuit final.

Cox did not finish in the final of the women’s C4-5 500m time trial, as the British athlete missed out on the first gold medal of the Games.

Four-time Paralympic champion Cox had qualified second fastest for the final in Paris but endured a bad start in the medal race, and slipped as she tried to correct herself before hitting the velodrome track on the first corner.

Schrager, world champion in her discipline, then hoped to pick up GB’s first gold but had to settle for silver after being dominated by Xiaomei Wang of China in the final.

Wang finished nearly 10 seconds ahead of Schrager and almost lapped her, in the process of setting a new world record.

Schrager, 23, is world champion at C2 level but on her Paralympic debut could not find a way to gold in the combined category competed at these Games.

In day one’s final track event, Bate and Latham finished 2.2 seconds behind world record holders Tristan Bangma and Patrick Bos of the Netherlands, who retained the Paralympic title they won in Tokyo.

Bate had earlier taken the world record from Bangma in qualifying, only for the Dutchman to snatch it back by riding a second quicker before cruising to gold.

It is nevertheless an impressive showing from 47-year-old Bate, twice a Paralympic champion and now a five-time medallist in possibly his final Games.

It was a dramatic afternoon in the velodrome after Cox – who has multiple sclerosis and suffered a calf injury in the build-up to the Games – had to be helped off the track by support staff.

The 33-year-old was not allowed to restart, as new rules brought in before these Games only permit a second attempt if there is a mechnical fault with a bike.

Dutch rider Caroline Groot won the first gold of the Games in a time of 35.566 seconds.

Hosts France picked up their first medal as Marie Patouillet took silver, with Canada’s Katie O’Brien winning bronze.

Reigning world champion Cox had looked strong in qualifying, recording 35.436 seconds – the second quickest overall after Groot, and ultimately faster than the time the Dutch athlete rode in the medal final.

Cox has previously been dominant in this event, having won gold at the 2016 and 2020 Paralympics – but found only heartbreak here.

She was visibly emotional and unsteady on her feet as she was helped from the track, before being embraced and comforted by GB staff.

However, BBC Sport has been told that Cox has not sustained a significant injury, whether new or to her previously problematic calf.

This means she may be able to come back and compete for a medal later in the Games, with the mixed C1-5 team sprint taking place on Sunday.