Loughborough University alumna Crystal Lane-Wright completed a historic hat-trick of medals for ParalympicsGB by winning silver in the women’s C4-5 road race.
This was Lane-Wright’s third silver medal of the delayed 2020 Paralympic Games following podium finishes in the women’s C5 individual pursuit and the women’s C5 cycling time trial.
In difficult conditions, the 35-year-old remained at the front of the pack throughout the race, eventually breaking away with fellow Briton Sarah Storey to record a GB 1-2.
Storey’s victory saw her become Britain's most successful Paralympian of all time with 17 gold medals, a feat that Lane-Wright was quick to recognise:
"I said 'this is your gold medal'. You don't have to worry, I'm not even going to attempt to take it away from you," she said.
"This is part of history now. And I didn't have the legs, she went so hard. It's easy for me to now say I gave it to her, but she won that fair and square.
"Gold medals aren't the only thing that define it, you also have to look at her as a professional. And even if she'd won silver today, she is still one of the greatest athletes we will ever have.
"I've piggy-backed on that because I'm in the same category and now on the same podium. There are times when I think, 'what would Sarah do?'. She inspires me that much."
Loughborough-linked athletes have now won 14 medals at the Games, with more events yet to come.
If you’re feeling inspired by the Paralympic Games, you can help support the future of Para sport on campus. By donating to the Para Sport programme, individuals can make a profound impact to a young person’s life. To find out how you can help, visit HERE.
For more information on Loughborough and its presence at the Paralympic Games, visit the dedicated website HERE.
Notes for editors
Press release reference number: 21/188
Loughborough is one of the country’s leading universities, with an international reputation for research that matters, excellence in teaching, strong links with industry, and unrivalled achievement in sport and its underpinning academic disciplines.
It has been awarded five stars in the independent QS Stars university rating scheme, named the best university in the world for sports-related subjects in the 2021 QS World University Rankings and University of the Year by The Times and Sunday Times University Guide 2019.
Loughborough is in the top 10 of every national league table, being ranked 7th in the Guardian University League Table 2021, 5th in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2020 and 7th in The UK Complete University Guide 2022.
Loughborough is consistently ranked in the top twenty of UK universities in the Times Higher Education’s ‘table of tables’ and is in the top 10 in England for research intensity. In recognition of its contribution to the sector, Loughborough has been awarded seven Queen's Anniversary Prizes.
The Loughborough University London campus is based on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and offers postgraduate and executive-level education, as well as research and enterprise opportunities. It is home to influential thought leaders, pioneering researchers and creative innovators who provide students with the highest quality of teaching and the very latest in modern thinking.
