Records smashed at glittering Games

Aug 30 2012

The Paralympics got under way in spectacular fashion with the focus now shifting to the athletes - who are already smashing world records.

Cyclist Sarah Storey got off to a blistering start in her pursuit of a gold medal, chalking up a new Games record in the process.

In front of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, she clocked three minutes 32.170 seconds to advance to the gold medal ride-off in the 3km C5 individual pursuit.

The 35-year-old swimmer-turned cyclist has won seven Paralympic titles since making her debut in Barcelona in the pool in 1992 and is aiming to add to her collection in London.

Swimmer Nyree Kindred also got off to a flyer by booking her passage into the S6 100 metres backstroke final by setting a Paralympic record of one minute 27.96, shaving 0.22 seconds off China's Lu Dong's time set in the previous heat.

Both performances have raised hopes of an early gold rush in the Games, although there was early disappointment for medal hopeful Di Coates, who failed to make the final in the women's R2 10m Air Rifle standing event. The 58-year-old, who has spina bifida, was competing in a British record-equalling eighth games.

The Games got off to a spectacular start on Wednesday night in Stratford's Olympic Stadium with a stunning ceremony, including aerial acrobatics and guest appearances by the Queen and Professor Stephen Hawking.

Viewing figures released by Channel 4 showed the ceremony drew a peak audience of 11.2 million people - the broadcasters' biggest in a decade - and four times that of the opening in Beijing four years ago.

There was controversy amid rumours that some Paralympians appeared to cover the branding of Games sponsors Atol. The company works alongside the Department for Work and Pensions to carry out Work Capability Assessments used to decide whether an individual is fit for work but has been criticised by some for its role in slashing the benefits bill. But Locog said it was unaware that athletes had hidden the branding.

Jackie Brock-Doyle, Locog's director of communications, again defended the decision to use the sponsor. She said: "They support us in the accreditation process, they support us in the volunteer process, they support us with the results, and they support the IPC with a lot of work they are doing with ParalympicsGB."