Dame Sarah Storey wins 18th gold medal - but criticises Paris Paralympics course
The cyclist, who is from Poynton, called a decision to make it half the length of the men's event "appalling"
Dame Sarah Storey has won her 18th gold medal at the Paralympics in Paris, but has criticised the course.
Organisers of the games decided to make the women's C5 time trial half the distance of the men's event.
The men's C5 event, which will take place on Wednesday afternoon, is double the distance, comprising two laps of the same course.
Britain's most successful Paralympian overcame a 7.18 seconds deficit at the only mid-race checkpoint to stretch her record-breaking exploits in the eastern suburbs of the French capital.
While the 46-year-old was delighted with her latest triumph, she bemoaned a missed opportunity for disability sport and raised the issue of gender inequality after completing a course of just 14.1 kilometres in 20 minutes and 22.15 seconds.
"This is the shortest Paralympic time trial we've ever had," said Storey.
"And I think it's a real shame because you don't get to showcase Para sport in the way that you want to. So I hope this is the only time it's less than 20k.
"You have to ask the organisers (why it was so short).
"But there's plenty of time in the day for us to do two laps like the men. And having fought so hard for parity in women's cycling, to not have it in Para cycling after what we had in Glasgow (world championships) last year is a real disappointment.
"I've had to put that disappointment aside and just concentrate on what I can control because I couldn't control the race distance.
"But I really hope that they never do this to the women again because I think it's been appalling."
Storey wrote her name in the history books at Tokyo 2020 by claiming a trio of titles to move ahead of former swimmer Mike Kenny in the all-time list of GB athletes.
At the ninth Games of a remarkable career which started in the swimming pool at Barcelona in 1992, she further cemented her legacy as husband Barney and children Louisa and Charlie watched on.
France's Heidi Gaugain finished 4.69 secs behind the British champion, having led at the 5.8km mark, to take silver in Clichy-sous-bois, with Australian rider Alana Forster third.
Storey's victory maintains her 100 per cent Games record on the bike, which began at Beijing in 2008 and now spans 13 races, to take her overall Paralympic medal tally to 29, including 16 in the pool.