British Paralympian Kadeena Cox Breaks Down in Tears After Crashing Out of Gold Medal Race at Paris Paralympics

British Paralympic cyclist Kadeena Cox experienced a devastating crash during her Women’s C4-5 500m time trial final at the Paris Paralympics, bringing her hopes of defending her title to an abrupt end.

Cox, who previously won gold in this event at the Rio and Tokyo Games, aimed to secure her third consecutive victory.

After qualifying second fastest for the final, Cox wobbled as she exited the start gate, appearing unsteady before losing control and crashing on the first bend.

Despite her pleas for the race to be restarted, officials denied her request since the fall was not caused by a mechanical failure.

Cox, visibly distraught, had to be helped to her feet by support staff and was later seen in tears by the side of the track.

The crash cost her a chance at gold and left her without a medal, as Dutch cyclist Caroline Groot claimed the top spot, with France’s Marie Patouillet taking silver and Canada’s Kate O’Brien earning bronze.

Reflecting on the incident in an interview with Channel 4, a dejected Cox admitted, “[I’m feeling] not great, if I am honest. But, that’s sport.”

She explained that her multiple sclerosis (MS) had affected her balance, making it difficult to control the bike. “My tone was bad, and that doesn’t help when you try to ride a bicycle,” she added.

Cox is scheduled for a medical evaluation following the fall but remains hopeful of competing in the mixed team sprint on Sunday, an event where she won gold three years ago.

However, the journey to Paris has been anything but smooth for the Paralympian, who also won three medals, including one gold, in athletics at the Tokyo Games.

A calf injury in the lead-up to Paris forced her to focus solely on cycling this time around.

Kadeena Cox, who had MS, is inconsolable. She was going for gold on day one in the time trial but she crashed on the first turn as she was trying to create speed. Officials have refused her a restart, saying that only mechanical issues are allowed for a second go #Paralympics pic.twitter.com/y2dZujXuQd

— Rob Maul (@Rob_Maul) August 29, 2024

Cox recounted her challenging year, explaining that she had only returned to cycling two weeks ago. “It has been a rubbish year.

This time last year, I couldn’t walk as I had a relapse which affected my right side – I guess that’s MS,” she said. Despite these challenges, Cox expressed pride in making it to the Games, even if she couldn’t compete in athletics due to her injuries.

Looking ahead to Sunday’s mixed team sprint, Cox emphasized her determination to contribute to her team’s success. “The boys will count on me getting out there and delivering a quick lap,” she said, acknowledging the mental health struggles she’s faced recently.

“It’s been a rough week, and I have been struggling with my mental health. I’ll speak to my psych [psychologist] – I don’t want to let the boys down.”

While Cox’s day ended in disappointment, other British athletes succeeded in the velodrome. Daphne Schrager and Steve Bate secured silver medals in the women’s and men’s pursuit events, respectively. Schrager, inspired by Cox to take up cycling, expressed her sadness over Cox’s crash.

“Kadeena [Cox] was one of the first people who got me into cycling, and we’ve been really close throughout the whole process,” she told Channel 4.

“I’m gutted for her, and I hoped we’d have a podium picture together. But sometimes sport is that way.”

Despite her silver medal, Schrager remained humble, reflecting on her journey to the podium. “It’s just incredible.

A year ago, I didn’t think I’d be on the bike again after I crashed, so to come here and break the world record was all I could do,” she said. “Sadly, it wasn’t enough. I’m always hungry for more, but I can walk away happy.

To come away with a medal at all is such a privilege – there’s so many people back home who would have loved to be here but didn’t get selected, so I feel honored to ride here.”