Two golds in 15 minutes! Aussies sparkle on Paris velodrome

PARIS: Australia hauled in two gold medals in the space of 15 minutes as track cyclists Korey Boddington and Emily Petricola sparkled at the Paralympic Games on Friday.
Team Australia won its second gold medal of the Paris Games when Boddington scorched through the final of the men’s C4-5 1000m time trial at the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines Velodrome, setting off last and mowing down the times of every one of his five rivals.
The 28-year-old Mooloolaba product blasted over the finish line in 1:02.487 and recorded a “factored” time — classification is taken into account to determine that — of 1:01.650.
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He then collected the Australian flag from the crowd and with a smile of great pride cruised around the velodrome waving it above his head.
Petricola had already tasted Paralympic glory, having won the women’s C4 3000m individual pursuit three years ago in Tokyo.
In Paris, the 44-year-old from Melbourne successfully defended her title in a gold medal showdown with Kiwi Anna Taylor, producing a crushing victory when she overlapped the New Zealander just over 2500 metres into the race.
A gun fired to signify her win and a flood of emotion poured out.
Emily Petricola sheds tears after winning Paralympic gold in Paris. Michael Steele/Getty Images
Petricola, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at the age of 27, revealed in an interview on the Nine broadcast post-race that she had experienced an extremely challenging “flare-up” period over the eight weeks leading up to the Paris Games.
She screamed with delight and punched the air when victory was confirmed, then embraced her team and loved ones and draped the Australian flag around her, tears flowing.
Just over two hours earlier, Boddington and Petricola had both fired a warning shot by setting new world records in qualifying.
Boddington, who acquired a brain injury in a motocross accident in 2011, registered a 102.021 and a factored time of 101.190 to break the C4 world record.
Korey Boddington celebrates winning gold. Andrew Matthews/PA Images via Getty Images
Petricola stopped the clock at 3:35.856 to smash the world record already belonging to her.
“I can’t believe it. Honestly, I can’t speak,” she said.
“I’m not shocked [by the achievement] because I’ve worked so hard, but it’s been such a hard eight weeks.
“These three years have been really, really hard. My body has been fighting me really hard,” she added, tears streaming down her face.
“It’s been a crazy, horrible period, but this makes it worth it.
“I’m just so grateful that I got the result for the people who have worked with me.”
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One of those people is coach Shane Kelly, who won two bronze medals and a silver across five Olympic Games on the velodrome.
Another of her closest confidants is Matt Ryan, a member of the Australian men’s rowing four that won silver at the Beijing 2008 Olympics.
Running, walking, swimming and weightlifting are almost impossible for Petricola because of problems with regulating body temperature, but Ryan suggested she take up cycling and she was soon thriving in the sport.
She was wary of riding a bike because of a lack of grip strength, a common struggle faced by people living with MS, but Ryan got her started on a watt bike in his office. He set up a fan in her face and flicked on the air conditioning. Petricola then began to pedal, starting with five-minute increments.
Ryan was also the first person to encourage her to aim for the Paralympics.
“I started laughing,” she told Wide World of Sports in May.
“In my mind the Paralympics were really for amputees or people in wheelchairs. I didn’t know there was neurological illness and impairment in there.”
She’s gone from laughing at the prospect of being eligible for the Paralympics to becoming a two-time Paralympic gold medallist.
“I’m not the same person that I was when I was 27 and healthy,” she said after winning gold in Paris.
“I was so unsure of myself [heading into the Games].”
The Victorian will contest another two events in Paris, racing in the C4 time trial and C4-5 road race.
The second day of Paris Games competition also saw Australian Jessica Gallagher claim silver in the women’s B 1000m time trial, assisted by pilot Caitlin Ward.
The 38-year-old, who has a vision impairment, recorded a factored time of 1:07.533.
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