Paralympic Games: Not enough gel for Storey in triathlon

Published on 06/09/2012 03:56

A FEAR of germs will stop swimmer-turned-cyclist Sarah Storey trying her hand at a third sport at the Rio de Janeiro Games in 2016.

The 34-year-old won her fifth Paralympic cycling gold medal yesterday and 10th in all, after claiming five as a swimmer.

Triathlon is set to be included in the 2016 Games iand, though Storey would appear to be a natural fit for the sport, she is far from keen. She said: “I can’t swim open water in the likes of the Serpentine or Salford Quays. I’m a bit of hygiene freak. I wouldn’t be able to douse myself in enough hand gel to be able to cope with that. I’m best off where I am.”

How would you celebrate a Paralympic medal? A wild party, perhaps? A holiday? A fancy meal or a Methuselah of champagne?

Not Mark Colbourne.

The Welshman added C1 time-trial silver to the gold and silver he won on the track and was planning his own brand of extravagant celebration.

Asked what was next, Colbourne said: “Time for a cup of tea and a Welsh cake.”

Jon-Allan Butterworth missed out on a time-trial medal, but he too found reason to celebrate.

The cyclist was named on one website’s list of the 11 “hottest Paralympic athletes”.

He tweeted: “Might not have medaled today but I’m on a Hot list!! lol.”

Also on the list was Canadian wheelchair basketball player David Eng.

“It’s good for confidence I guess,” Eng was quoted as saying in the Canadian press. “It’s good-looking people. Glad to be in that category.”

Predictably, it has caused much amusement among Eng’s team-mates.

Patrick Anderson, widely considered to be the best wheelchair basketball player in the world, said: “I’m happy for Dave. I know he’s been working for this his whole life. We’re just basking in the glow.”

Algerian Mounir Bakiri seems to have fallen in love with London more than most athletes. After winning bronze in the F32/33 shot put, he said he wanted to return for another special occasion. “I want to get married in London,” he said.