Join AUS Squad
Back To NewsAmanda Reid, the reigning Paralympic champion in the women’s 500 metres time trial C1-3, produced a commanding performance in her pet event on Day 3 of Paris 2024, winning Australia’s third gold medal in track cycling and fourth of the Games to date.
At Tokyo 2020, the Wemba Wemba and Guring-gai woman became the first Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander athlete to win a Paralympic medal in cycling. The six-time world champion in the time trial had a tricky lead-in to the Paris Games due to injury and personal challenges but lived up to her reputation for lifting in the big moments.
“That was absolutely amazing considering the last 12-plus months I’ve had,” Reid said afterwards.
“I just came in to go as fast as I could and this gold medal just means everything. It means it’s all worth it, everything, all the mountains I had to climb to get here.
“I tried not to think about the pressure I just came in going, ‘It will be what it will be’ and it just happened I went back-to-back gold, which blows my mind.”
Reid’s time of 38.811 in her C2 class, factored down to 36.676s, put her more than a second ahead of runner-up Wangwei Qian of China (C1) and German C2 cyclist, Maike Hausberger, who took bronze in 38.358.
Reid’s maternal grandmother Christine watched from the stands.
“It’s so cool that she was actually able to come out with all her health conditions and make it over here,” Reid said.
“She has a few medical conditions that go along with her Indigenous heritage, so for her to come here was a big thing.”
Enjoyed this read? Recap Gold Medal No.5 here
By: David Sygall
Published: 27 December 2024
