Great Britain’s Dave Ellis and Megan Richter won Paralympic triathlon gold in the men’s PTVI and women’s PTS4 events respectively as the GB team earned five medals in the races through central Paris.
Claire Cashmore won silver in the women’s PTS5, with 2021 Paralympic champion Lauren Steadman claiming bronze as American Grace Norman claimed gold.
And Hannah Moore claimed PTS4 bronze behind team-mate Richter to cap a strong day for GB in the triathlon.
Ellis finished more than a minute ahead of the rest of the field to seal gold and atone for heartbreak in Tokyo three years ago.
Placed fifth after the opening swimming section, Ellis – racing in the event for visually impaired athletes alongside guide Luke Pollard – caught the leading pack during the cycling.
It was here where Ellis and Pollard’s golden dreams faded in 2021, as a problem with their bike’s chain caused them to abandon the race.
There were no such issues this time, with Ellis in a four-way fight for the lead after the cycle, with French triathletes Antoine Perel and Thibaut Rigaudeau, as well as Owen Cravens of the USA.
But it was in the run where Ellis showed his quality to streak away from the field and cross the line on Pont Alexandre III one minute 26 seconds clear of second.
“After one lap of the bike, I was celebrating – we made it further,” Ellis said.
“This is the biggest stage for Paralympic athletes. You just want a great race on the day, and I’m really happy with the result.
“It was almost relaxing into the run, not going too hard and blowing up. I would back my run – we have been strong over the years – so coming off the bike it gave me so much confidence [to be in contention].
“It’s absolutely unreal. Obviously Tokyo was the opposite, but it’s been a tough couple of years so I’m so happy I had an awesome race today.”
It means Ellis adds Paralympic gold to his world, European and Commonwealth titles.
“He’s the hardest working bloke I know, a pleasure to work with him – it’s what gets me up every day,” Pollard said of Ellis.
“I’ve spent three years sorting the bike, making it bulletproof. The test event gave us confidence. We ran lower pressures on the tyres and that helped with vibrations.”
Rigaudeau and Perel took silver and bronze respectively, while GB’s Oscar Kelly finished seventh.