Storey falls short in hour world record attempt

The British Paralympic champion managed 45.502km, falling 563m short of the 11-year-rold world record. 28 Feb 2015

Dame Sarah Storey looks on prior to her women's hour record attempt at the Lee Valley Velodrome in London, Great Britain.

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IPC

Great Britain’s most decorated Paralympian Dame Sarah Storey was 563m short in her attempt to break the women’s UCI hour world record on Saturday (28 February).

At London’s Lee Valley VeloPark, where she won two Paralympic golds during London 2012, Storey rode 45.502km to set new British and para-cycling C5 records. Dutchwomen Leontien Zijlaard-van Moorsel retains the record of 46.065km set in Mexico City 1 October 2003.

After the first 40 laps Storey was on world record pace, but by 20km was down by 0.779 seconds. Her split times then continued to slip as the hour progressed.

Storey said: “It was definitely the hardest hour of my life. It was the furthest I could possibly have gone. I said I’d do my best, and it’s not as far as Leontien, but to miss out to her is no bad thing.

"I came in here hoping to go further than 46km, but to break the British record, I'm really chuffed.”

Storey will now switch her focus to the UCI Para-cycling World Championships which take place in Apeldoorn, the Netherlands, between 26-29 March.

At last year’s World Championships in Mexico, Storey won the 3km pursuit and scratch race and next month will be entering the individual pursuit, 500m time trial and scratch race.