Paris 2024 Flash Quotes: Lizzi Jordan and Sophie Unwin

Comments from ParalympicsGB cyclists Lizzi Jordan and Sophie Unwin.

Lizzi Jordan

Result: Won a gold medal in the women’s B 1000m time trial, piloted by Danni Khan

Age: 26

Hometown: Guildford

“It feels unreal really. It’s like a dream come true. I’ve worked really hard from the bottom to the top. It’s a great story and should be a good example for other people of what happens if you believe in what you can achieve.

“Sport has given me a sense of purpose, a sense of achievement, it’s saved me really. I’m an adrenaline junky really. So I came along to cycling and whizzing around the velodrome seemed really appealing and I love the sense of freedom it gives me. Being blind, I need a guide walking round so life is a bit slower now so shooting around the velodrome at 50/60kmph gives me that sense of speed again.

“I think I’ve sent a general message to people to believe. The word disabled seems really negative I don’t think I have a disability, I think I have a different ability. I want to break down the barriers and prove to people you can achieve things without your sight. And actually I’ve achieved more without my sight than with my sight.”

Sophie Unwin

Result: Secured a bronze medal in the women’s women’s B 1000m time trial, piloted by Jenny Holl

Age: 30

Hometown: Devon

“It feels amazing. We were in Tokyo three years ago not even looking at the 1000m as a medal event so to come here and medal is incredible. We have such a strong squad in the UK across all the classifications but especially the women’s tandem. We are each other’s competition and training together really helps because we spur each other on constantly, we know what each other are doing. We want to beat them, they want to beat us but we also know the training works. The team we have behind us works.

“We don’t have the best squad because the UK happens to have the best cyclists. We have the best cycling squad because we have the best team supporting us.

“We were hoping to be higher up the podium but I’d take a bronze every day of the week.”