Great Britain got off to a strong start at the Para-Cycling Track World Championships in LA by winning gold and silver in its first two events.
It was a great day for multiple Paralympic Champion Sarah Storey who made her victory in the C5 500m Time Trial look almost effortless. Storey rode her two laps brilliantly, posting a new British record and a PB with a time of 37.371, head and shoulders above the rest of the field.
"This is the event, alongside the road race, that I get a little nervous" said Storey. "You never know what's going to happen when the world record holder (China's Ju Fang Zhou) is in the event."
Storey put today's success down to training with the able-bodied Team Pursuit squad and to her preparations for the Team Sprint "I've been working hard on getting more explosive, so it was good to get a PB as it shows I'm notching away towards the world record."
"Today I was just trying to concentrate on getting out of the gate cleanly, getting the first half snappy and then using my strength in the second lap and a half to drive as fast as I could. It all came together for me and I'm really chuffed." she said.
The other British success came in the Women's B/Vi 3km Pursuit in which GB fielded two tandem pairings - Lora Turnham, piloted by Fiona Duncan, silver medallists in the event in 2011, and Aileen McGlynn, piloted by Helen Scott. Both pairings made it through a tough qualification, posting a third and second fastest times respectively.
In the finals, Lora Turnham and Fiona Duncan faced New Zealand's Phillipa Gray and Laura Thompson in a bronze ride off. The British pairing got off to a good start but lost advantage to the Kiwis after the first few laps and failed to get it back, finally placing fourth.
Event official website here LA PARA-CYCLING2012