London 2012: Kenny misses out but Storey strikes gold (From Bournemouth Echo)

London 2012: Kenny misses out but Storey strikes gold

7:02pm Thursday 30th August 2012 in Sport

VERWOOD’S Paralympic legend Darren Kenny this afternoon missed out on a medal as he relinquished his time trial crown at the London 2012 velodrome.

The six-times Paralympic cycling champion, who won four golds in Beijing, was forced to settle for fourth place in his opening event of the Games.

Changes to the rules meant Kenny, who has a C3 disability classification, was racing against rivals from other categories, with a time weighting applied to give an overall winner.

Kenny’s class was effectively rated as scratch, while those in the C1 and C2 classifications received a time allocation of between 89 and 92 per cent.

The 42-year-old clocked 1:10.203, the fastest time in the competition, but China’s Yu Li saw his time of 1:13.009 knocked down to 1:05.021 to take gold.

The Dorset rider will return to the track tomorrow for the men’s individual C3 pursuit qualification and final (11.39am/4.22pm). After a short break, Kenny will feature in the mixed C1-5 team sprint on Sunday (11.33am qualification/3.33pm final).

Meanwhile, Sarah Storey claimed the host nation’s first gold medal of the Paralympics.

Storey, wife of Corfe Mullen ’s Barney Storey, earned a supreme victory in the women’s C5 3km individual pursuit.

Fastest qualifier Storey caught final opponent Anna Harkowska of Poland after six-and-a-half of the 12 laps to triumph to rapturous applause from the 6,000-capacity crowd.

Bournemouth Jubilee Wheelers member Barney Storey will also compete for Great Britain as a tandem pilot for Neil Fachie.

 

• Poole-born table tennis star Will Bayley tonight won his first group B match as he defeated Yuttana Namsaga 11-9 11-7 11-2.

 

FOR REACTION AND MORE PARALYMPICS COVERAGE, SEE TOMORROW’S DAILY ECHO.