Storey duo and Novak clinch gold

“I had to try to do something to keep the male end up in the Storey household."

British husband and wife duo Barney and Sarah Storey both won gold on day three of the cycling, while Romania’s Carol-Eduard Novak stunned favourite Jiri Jezek in the men’s C4 individual pursuit.

Sarah Storey took her second gold medal of the Games in the C4-5 1km time trial, soon after husband Barney had been pilot for Neil Fachie, who broke his own world record with a time of 1:01.351 in the B 1km time trial.

“We knew what we had to do and we knew that it was going to be world record pace,” said Fachie.

His pilot Barney Storey was delighted to add to the family’s Paralympic gold medal collection.

“I had to try to do something to keep the male end up in the Storey household,” he joked after the race.

His wife made it a real family celebration in the afternoon by winning her second title of the Games, again roared on by a sell-out crowd in the Velodrome.

“It does feel that your own family has grown by about 6000 people,” she said.

In the men’s C4 individual pursuit, Romania’s Novak, new world record holder after the morning qualifications, stormed home to a win against the Czech Republic’s Jezek in the final.

Jezek’s silver medal brings his total number of Paralympic medals to 10 since Sydney 2000 but he bowed down, literally, to Novak after the gold medal ride-off.

“He was simply better - I am satisfied with a silver medal,” declared the Czech.

Romanian Novak was quick to express his pride after the race.

“I am very, very proud of this, because I took on a great champion,” Novak said.

“I just focused on the last three years, with a very strict programme, and very good preparation, so I was confident I could achieve this result. And I was right finally. I am very happy.”

The time trial gold medal in the C1-3 sporting class went to China’s Yin He. In riding to the Paralympic title, the Chinese athlete, second in the World Championships in February, broke the C2 world record.

The podium was completed by the Netherlands’ Alyda Norbruis and Australia’s Jayme Paris, who broke the C1 world record.

In an exciting men’s C5 individual pursuit competition, Michael Gallagher’s world record was lowered twice in the morning’s qualification - first by Jon-Allan Butterworth and then again by Gallagher himself.

In the afternoon’s ride-off for gold between the two men, Gallagher got the better of Butterworth to win the Paralympic title.