It is because of Afghanistan and the brutal nature of the conflict there that Jaco van Gass is at these Paralympics. So yes, he said, as he stood with a gold medal around his neck, of course it grieves him to see the catastrophe unfolding where he once served.
‘It’s sad to see what’s going on,’ he said. ‘Personally, I’m not disappointed and I don’t regret what happened to me. I had to go out and do my job.. My thoughts go out to those who paid the ultimate sacrifice. I think I’ll just leave it there.’
Spoken in the way that you suspect all British Parathletes who have served there will be addressing the Afghanistan issue here. Word is coming back that they don’t want to overshadow the bigger cause, of inclusion.
Jaco van Gass beat team-mate Fin Graham to take gold in the men’s C3 3000m invidual pursuit
Graham (right) and Van Gass (left) both sensationally broke the world record in qualifying
Van Gass, who becomes the second British serviceman after cyclist Jon-Allan Butterworth in Rio to take Paralympic gold, has never spent long contemplating the fate that befell him in Afghanistan.
A rocket-propelled grenade had left him with a collapsed lung and no left arm below his elbow. He attempted to climb Everest and was part of a group of war-wounded soldiers who completed a march to South Pole for charity. But gold in the 3,000m individual pursuit classification yesterday clearly surpassed all this.
‘At this very moment in time, it’s at the top,’ he said. ‘It is there. It’s right at the top. It’s the best thing. It’s hard to really put that into perspective.’
The challenge was made greater on this occasion when he was told on Tuesday that he could not use a prosthetic limb he had been cleared by the UCI to wear five months ago. The artificial limb has apparently drawn attention during velodrome practice sessions this week.
‘We arrived here and with two days to go, for some reason they didn’t allow me to ride it,’ Van Gass said. ‘It makes quite a big difference. But I had to get over it, clear my head and focus on what I can do.
‘There’s always something I have to overcome a bit more than other people. That’s been my whole life, I’ll be honest with you. It’s never simple.’
An Afghanistan veteran, the South-African born Van Gass suffered life-changing injuries when he was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade in 2009
That’s certainly been the case with him and cycling. He took a break from the sport after failing to make the GB team for Rio. The breakthrough for him has been his change in classification, from C4 to C3 classification.
His first ride Thursday morning had hallmarks of Dame Sarah Storey’s the previous day. Van Gass had been eyeing the longest-standing world record in Paralympic cycling and thought he might make the distance in 3:19. But Briton Graham Finlay, riding before him, made that time. A serious statement of intent.
Gass ripped another two seconds of it – making 3:17 to reach a final against Finlay. ‘To be honest, the 3:19 was my aim and then he rode it, so I had to recalculate and go faster,’ Gass reflected. ‘He pushed me really hard in the final. I was on my last legs.’
The 35-year-old, competing in his first Paralympics, is an individual we will hear plenty more about here. He has four more golds to race for.
In many ways, this was a breakthrough day for a new generation of British stars.
Maisie Summers-Newton is a Paralympic champion after win in SM6 200m individual medley
Her Paralympics GB team-mate Ellie Simmonds – who inspired her to swim – finished fifth
It is not new territory for Maisie Summers-Newton, though her own performance in the pool – setting another new world record to take gold – marked a changing of the guard in the 200m medley that Ellie Simmonds has dominated for a decade.
The look of relief on Simmonds face at the end of their final told you that there if she hand on her mantle, then this was hoe she wanted it.
“I’m completely happy with it really. She’s inspiring that next generation now,’ said Simmonds, whose struggle to enjoy the sport again seemed to be behind her and has more races to compete in.
‘She’s been following in my footsteps and now she’s the one.’
Summers-Newton was a ten-year-old when she watched Simmonds win in London and aspired to the do the same. They have the same achondroplasia condition.
Simmonds saw that Summers-Newton was concerned when her world record was broken by Ukrainian Yelyzaveta Mereshko in Thursday’s heat. She sought her out and reassured her. She was like, “no honestly you can do it”, Summers-Newton reflected. ‘It definitely helped.’
But Gass was the one who was radiated the most light and heat, last night.
‘When life is good and nothing is wrong with you, so many things tend to get pushed to the side,’ he said after making this team.
‘I learned pretty fast that life is short and everything can change in the blink of an eye. You have to make the most of what you have.’