Paralympic torchbearer Oksana Masters (USA) claimed her second gold medal in two days when she won the women’s H4 road race in Clichy-sous-Bois, retaining the title she won in Tokyo 2020. This came just 24 hours after the 35-year-old had successfully defended her time trial Paralympic title.
And just like the time trial, where she came from 30 seconds down at the halfway stage, Masters did not dominate the whole way. For much of the race she rode in a lead group of four that also included China’s Bianbian Sun, Italy’s Ana Maria Vitelaru and Germany’s Andrea Eskau, who won at London 2012.
But with the finish line approaching, Masters pulled away to win her ninth Paralympic gold medal and 19th Paralympic medal across different sports. Bianbian finished second with Vitelaru third.
“I’m so excited,” Masters said. “It’s road racing and I have a love-hate [relationship with it]. I love road racing, but it also gives me the most anxiety because there’s so much you cannot control.” Asked where she stores her medals, she replied: “I love socks, so I store them in socks. Honestly, I’m not a medal person. To me it’s the experience and the memory of the race that means the most to me. I’m looking at my mom, looking at my team and that’s the medal for me."
Encouraged by her adoptive mother to participate in sports, Ukrainian-born Masters has won Paralympic medals at para cross-country skiing, para-rowing and, of course, para-cycling.
Heavy rain did nothing to dampen the spirits of fans, who celebrated two gold medals from French athletes thanks to Florian Jouanny and Mathieu Bosredon.
Thirty-two-year-old Jouanny defended his crown in the men’s H1-H2 road race in 1:20:18. Spain’s Sergio Garrote Muñoz finished second, following his gold in the time trial, and Italy’s Luca Mazzone took the bronze medal.
“I’m so happy to defend my title,” said Jouanny. “At that moment [crossing the finish line], I was thinking of the road race in Tokyo because I arrived a long way ahead [of the rest] in Tokyo [and it was quiet due to Covid]. It was so nice to hear the crowd cheering.”
Bosredon then won his second title in two days with victory in the men’s H3 road race in 43:33.22, ahead of countryman Johan Quaile and Italy’s Mirko Testa. Bosredon and Quaile had already won gold and silver respectively in the time trial.
The Netherlands matched France’s day two road race total of two gold medals. Jetze Plat won his third gold medal of the Paralympics (after golds in the para-triathlon and the road time trial) with victory in the men’s H4 road race, while his teammate Mitch Valize won his second gold medal in two days, in the men’s H5 road race.
The Netherlands currently heads the road race medal table with seven gold medals, followed by France with six gold medals.
Elsewhere, Lauren Parker of Australia won her second gold of the Games in the women’s H1-H3 road race after winning para-triathlon gold.
The Paris 2024 para-cycling road races continue Friday and Saturday.
Para-cycling sport classes
C – Cycle: conventional bike with adaptations if necessary
T – Tricycle: three-wheeled bike
B – Tandem: for visually impaired athletes with sighted pilot
H – Handcycle
Groups C (1-5), T (1-2) and H (1-5) are divided into different sport classes, with the lower the number indicating a higher level of impairment.