If her win in the PTWC triathlon earlier at Paris 2024 affirmed her status as an icon of Para-triathlon, Lauren Parker’s gold medal in the 28.4-kilometre H1-5 Para-cycling road race sealed her place as a Paralympic Games legend.
Parker became the first Australian to win gold in two sports at one Games since Vic Renalson claimed gold in athletics and weightlifting at the 1968 Paralympics in Tel Aviv. She had also won a silver medal in the 14.2-kilometre individual time trial.
Parker was jubilant after capturing road race gold.
“I am so stoked with that performance today I just can’t believe it. I really can’t believe what I’ve accomplished in these Games. I couldn’t be more happy.”
It was a tough circuit; just as Parker wanted.
“It worked to my strengths because I love a hilly course, I love a challenging course, and I treated it just like a time trial. I knew I had to stay away from my competitors and leave it all out there on course so I just went hard from start to finish.”
As it turned out her finish time of 52.04 was more than four minutes faster than second placed Jennette Jansen of the Netherlands and Germany’s Annika Zeyen-Giles.
Parker was later named one of the Australian Paralympic Team’s Closing Ceremony flag bearers.
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By: David Sygall
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