By RTL News/Australian Press Association··Modified:
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The Netherlands' first Paralympic gold medal has been won. Cyclist Caroline Grote took the title in the 500m time trial in Paris.
The 26-year-old was not only the fastest at the Vélodrome National, but also improved at the Tokyo Paralympics. She then took bronze.
Grote clocked 35.566 seconds in the final. That made her slightly slower than she had been in qualifications earlier in the day. She then crossed the finish line in 35.390 seconds. That improved the world record.
The Grand Medal of Honour is not only the first gold medal for the Netherlands, but also the first gold medal in these Paralympic Games. These Olympic Games opened last night.
Silver went to France's Marie Patouillet. With her time of 36.700 she was much slower than Grote. Canada's Kate O'Brien took bronze with 37.370 points. Britain's Kadena Cox caused some consternation in the final, crashing shortly after the start and not being allowed to restart.
According to TeamNL, Groot had dreams of going to the Olympics as a skier, but suffered permanent damage as a result of surgery and has since focused on cycling. Groot is also a world champion in multi-track cycling.
