Tokyo Paralympics 2021: Follow the latest cycling news from the Games

Amanda Reid has destroyed her own cycling world record to clinch gold despite a back-drop of intense scrutiny surrounding her impairment.

Amanda Reid broke her own world record to claim a cycling gold. Picture: Kiyoshi Ota/Getty Images

An Indigenous Australian who was once wrongly accused of exaggerating her impairment is hoping her stunning gold medal victory at the Tokyo Paralympics will inspire more disabled Aboriginal athletes to represent Australia.

Amanda Reid became just the fifth Indigenous Australian – and the first in 13 years – to reach the highest step on the Paralympic podium after an astonishing win at the Izu Velodrome, where she destroyed her own world record to take gold in the women’s C1-C3 500m time trial.

The most recent Aboriginal to win Paralympic gold for Australia was amputee swimmer Ben Austin, who won the last of his three gold medals at Beijing in 2008.

A former Paralympic swimmer who returned to competitive track cycling after finding an old jersey that no longer fitted her, Reid thinks her success could open the floodgates to more Indigenous champions.

Amanda Reid became just the fifth Indigenous Australian to claim a Paralympic gold medal. Picture: Kiyoshi Ota/Getty Images

“Being a proud Aboriginal woman from Guringai and Wemba-Wemba I hope to inspire more indigenous kids with disabilities back in Australia to start with sports and achieve their dreams like I have,” she said.

Reid, who has intellectual, physical and visual impairments, represented Australia in swimming at the 2012 London Paralympics before switching to cycling after she was rummaging through some old memorabilia and suddenly got the itch to go riding again.

It proved to be a smart decision.

Reid won a silver medal in the time trial at the 2016 Rio Olympics and has chalked up five world titles in the intervening years although her rapid success has come under intense scrutiny.

In 2018, her former coach claimed in an interview with the BBC that he suspected Reid had exaggerated her symptoms to change classifications.

When she was swimming, Reid competed in a category for competitors with intellectual disabilities, but as a cyclist, she now races in a category for physical impairments, including cerebral palsy.

The Australian Paralympic Committee investigated the claims but ruled that her condition was legitimate, clearing the way for the 24-year-old’s historic win on Friday.

Reidintellectual, physical and visual impairment. Picture: Kiyoshi Ota/Getty Images

“I cycled when I was really little. I had a little bike and everything modified for me, to help me brake and everything,” Reid said.

“Then I sort of went into swimming and put that stuff aside.

“In 2015 I found my old cycling jersey. It‘s very tiny, I was six or seven when I used it, so it definitely doesn’t fit now.

“I was like, ‘let’s give this a go, I really enjoyed it when I was little’, and that’s how it started again.

“I‘ve still got it. It’s in my room and I might get it framed. It’s something special that reminded me of why I started in sport.”

Australia also won a silver medal at the Velodrome on Friday in the men’s C5 4000m individual pursuit through Alistair Donohoe.

With one day of track cycling to go, Australia has three golds, two silvers and a bronze, second only to Britain.

The road races begin next week, where Australia is tipped to win even more medals after disappointing at the Olympics, with only BMX star Logan Martin pocketing gold.

Originally published as Tokyo Paralympics 2021: Follow the latest cycling news from the Games