South African-British cyclist Jaco van Gas won gold in the men's 3,000m individual pursuit and set a new Paralympic world record, just a week after being hit by a car in Paris.
Just a few days ago, Van Gas was rounding a corner during training when a car came hurtling towards him and his bike. At that moment, he thought his chance to defend his Paralympic gold medal was gone. But somehow, he ended up doing better than expected.
“It was heartbreaking. I had a big cut on my head but they did a couple of tests and they were all right. They looked after me really well,” he told reporters. “The next day is always the hardest because the pain and stiffness is so bad. On Saturday I really struggled to understand: Am I going to be able to ride? By Sunday I was on the track.”
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Gold medalist Jacob Van Gas, silver medalist Finlay Graham of Great Britain and bronze medalist Alexandre Hayward of Canada pose for a photo on the podium after the Men's C3 3000m Individual Pursuit Final on the second day of the Paris 2024 Summer Paralympic Games at Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines Velodrome in Paris, France on August 30, 2024. (Michael Steele/Getty Images)
Van Gas returned to the velodrome in time to compete in Paris and produced a record-breaking performance for the British team, beating teammate Fionn Graham in the final.
“I wasn't worried about the cut but my knee was badly bruised, but within two days I was back on the bike,” Van Gas said of his injury. “I practiced at the velodrome and then I realised I was OK – it was a Renault after all!”
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Team Great Britain's Jacob Van Gas reacts during the men's C1-3 1000m time trial on the third day of qualifying for the Paris 2024 Summer Paralympic Games at Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines Velodrome in Paris, France on August 31, 2024. (Fiona Goodall/Getty Images for PNZ)
The 38-year-old cyclist won his third gold medal at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, having already won two gold medals in the individual pursuit C3 and mixed team sprint C1-5.
The car accident was far from the most devastating blow Van Gass had ever suffered. As a member of the Royal Airborne Regiment in the 2000s, he deployed to Afghanistan for a second time in 2009. Towards the end of that tour, he was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade during combat and lost his left forearm.
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Jacob Van Gas of the British team competes in the men's C3 3000m individual pursuit final on the second day of the Paris 2024 Summer Paralympic Games at the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines Velodrome in Paris, France on August 30, 2024. (Michael Steele/Getty Images)
He had to undergo 11 surgeries to recover from his injuries after the explosion and lost a limb, but that didn't stop him from taking on a series of extreme athletic challenges, including hiking the polar ice caps, downhill skiing, extreme marathons and cycling.
It all culminated in his Paralympic debut in Tokyo in 2021, but he left Japan wanting something more.
“When I stood on the podium in Tokyo and saw the stands empty, I knew I wanted to finish it here with my family and now it's happened,” he said. “Three years ago I made the decision to focus on training and not go on any reckless adventures.”
A car accident wasn't enough to stop him from having the moment in front of a packed crowd that included his family.
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