‘Indescribable’: Darren Hicks’ golden day leads a wave of medals for Australia at Tokyo Paralympics

An inspirational gold medal-winning performance from Darren Hicks in the Men’s C2 Time Trial has headlined a landmark day for Australia in the Paralympics para-cycling time trial events, with six medals won by the green and gold at Fuji International Speedway.

Hicks (SA) made it known he had one eye firmly focused on the time trial event after picking up a silver medal on the track last week and delivered on his statement in dominating fashion.

The 36-year-old was a man on a mission over the 24km course, leading from the front at the first intermediate time check and growing his gold medal-winning margin to more than 90 seconds at the finish line.

It was a surreal moment for Hicks, who said his achievement was yet to sink in.

“... I couldn’t be happier,” he said.

“It’s an absolute dream to hear the anthem and know that I helped add to our medal tally.

“(My) warm-up was perfect - I’ve never had my heart rate so low, and my legs felt perfect, so I just went out and executed the plan.

“I was within two or three watts (of plan) in the first lap and again in the second lap and just let it all loose on the third (lap) and it worked out brilliantly.

“Cam (Jennings) was giving me splits every lap when the boys came across the line, but I was already two-thirds of a lap through, so by the time I got the second check I was already halfway through my last lap.

“I knew I was 12 seconds up one and a half (laps) in and about a minute up second lap in and just kept it going luckily.

“I think I’ll be excited later on but for now it’s just relief, I’ve worked so hard for this and I’ve wanted it for so long … I’m just so happy.”

Double medal delight for C4 duo

Emily Petricola (VIC) and Meg Lemon (SA) added two more medals to the Australian Paralympic para-cycling tally in the Women’s C4 Time Trial, with Petricola narrowly missing gold behind Shawn Morelli (USA) to claim silver and Lemon powering home to bronze.

“Part of me feels disappointed, but I couldn’t have done more than I did today,” Petricola said.

“I was a bit unlucky with some of the traffic out there which costs you in a time trial and that’s part of racing on the road.

“But I did my best, I gave what I had today and Shawn (Morelli) was just better, so congratulations to her.

“I’m wrapped that Meg (Lemon) is on the podium with me today, so that is something really big for the team to celebrate.”

Lemon said she was shocked to land in the bronze medal position.

“I think it will hit me in a while I’m still in a bit of shock after that time trial dealing with a bit of pain and the heat.

“I came out with high expectations as you always do, otherwise you’re already out of the game.

“A bronze medal I have to be happy with.

“At the end of the day Em and Morelli are just way too strong for me and I just have to go back to the drawing board and keep working and hopefully with a bit more time I can be matching them.

“Fourth for me (in the IP) was fantastic with a couple of personal bests but at the same time a little bit of a low coming away just short.

“I knew I had two more races to come out and show the world what I can do, and you know, it doesn’t help being down, that doesn’t get you through the rest of the races and doesn’t help everyone back home.

“My whole family and friends are so proud of me just to be here and competing.”

Cooke claims third successive Paralympics T1-2 TT medal

Carol Cooke (VIC) turned in a superb performance to claim silver in the Women’s T1-2 Time Trial.

The 60-year-old was chasing a trifecta of consecutive gold medals in the event but was unable to unseat German Jana Majunke from the hot seat.

“At one point I was equal second, but then Jana, kudos to her, she’s an amazing climber and I knew this would be her course,” Cooke said.

“The road race, it’s her to win, she climbs like a mountain goat. I’m a bit heavier and older, I get up the hills but not at the speeds she does; I come down a lot faster.”

Cooke is an amazing advocate for the awareness of multiple sclerosis (MS) and spoke of her pride in leading the way in the Paralympic movement.

“For years, the Paralympics has been fighting to get equal billing in the Olympics because all these athletes are elite athletes,” she said.

“I want people to see capability before disability because they’re all so capable.

“All these riders have so much ability, every athlete at the Paralympics has so much ability, it’s just amazing we’re getting the same coverage as the Olympians.

“I'm proud of the fact I may have been a driving force in a little bit of that and just bringing to the forefront how capable we are.

“I put Luke Durbridge on this tricycle at Road Nationals (and) he just looked at me and said how the hell do you go down the hill on this. I hit 73km/h going down on this, it was an eye-opener for him.”

Donohoe and Greco stoke up Fuji to claim bronze

Alistair Donohoe (VIC) continued his success at Tokyo 2020, clawing back time in the final kilometres to win a bronze in the Men’s C5 Time Trial.

Donohoe, who came from sixth at the first intermediate time check to third at the finish, was overjoyed to add another Paralympic medal to his collection.

“Absolute Massive stoke!” he said.

“Sitting over there, in the TT, it’s just anticipation, you have to wait five to six minutes to figure out where you’ve come.

“To sneak in for bronze in a real tight field with less than a minute between the top four, it’s sensational, it’s exactly that - disbelief.

“I like to keep everyone on edge, you know, I don’t like anyone to get too comfortable, I had a pacing strategy that I worked through a lot with my coach and a lot of training, knowing the conditions out here can be so tough, it’s so mild today so I don’t mind this, we prepared for 33 degrees and crazy humidity.

“I might have gone too conservative at the start, but I finished with nothing in the tank.

"I feel like I nailed it and I’m so happy.”

Donohoe will now refocus for Friday’s Men’s C4-5 road race.

“The last couple of days riding the course, I've had nothing but adrenaline thinking about the road race, everything circling through my brain, I’m getting really excited, it’s a complete lottery,” he said.

“I just have to play my cards close to my chest, play it cool calm, hopefully nail that result.

“Gosh, I’m so excited.”

Paige Greco (SA) followed on from her colossal gold medal-winning ride in the Izu Velodrome last week to win bronze in the Women’s C1-3 Time Trial.

Greco stopped the clock at 26:37.54, finishing the 16km course 41.78 seconds down on gold medalist Keiko Sugiura (Japan).

Strong performances round out a successful day in Tokyo

The Paralympic debuts of Stuart Jones (NSW) and Grant Allen (SA) were rides to remember for the pair.

Jones narrowly missed a medal due to an unfortunate chain derailment in the closing stages of the Men’s T1-2 Time Trial.

The 52-year-old Novocastrian ended the day in fifth.

Allen was consistent for the entirety of the Men’s H4 Time Trial, finishing his first taste of Paralympics action in sixth.

Triple-Paralympian Stuart Tripp started his Tokyo 2020 campaign in the Men’s H5 Time Trial with an eighth-place finish.

David Nicholas performed well to also finish eighth in the Men’s C3 Time Trial.