Tributes paid as ParaGB athletes return victorious

Iranian Paralympic cyclist, Bahman Golbarnezhad, was remembered during the closing ceremony of the 2016 Rio Paralympic games on Sunday evening.

Singers, dancers and fireworks lit up Maracanã Stadium last night, before a moment’s silence was held for Golbarnezhad, who is reported to have crashed heavily on a descent on Saturday’s C4/C5 road race, before suffering a fatal cardiac arrest.

The 2016 Paralympics Games saw Britain win 147 medals, 67 of which were Gold, the third highest medal haul in British Paralympic history. Of those medals, 31 were for cycling, including three Golds from British wonder woman, Dame Sarah Storey.

Para-cyclist from Iran dies following Rio road race crash

Sir Philip Craven, president of the International Paralympic Committee, said: "Tonight is a celebration of the last 12 days of sport but it's also a very sombre occasion following Saturday's extremely tragic events.

"The passing of Bahman Golbarnezhad has affected us all and left the whole Paralympic movement united in grief."

Britain came in second in the Paralympics medals table, behind China, and British athletes were among those offering condolences following Saturday's crash.

Devastated to hear Iranian paracyclist Bahman Golbarnezhad died in the race yesterday. Thoughts are with his family and friends

— Crystal Lane (@CrystallLane) September 18, 2016

Dame Sarah Storey won Gold medals in the Women’s C4-5 road race and the Women’s time trial C5, as well as Gold in the C5 3000m individual pursuit, in which Britain’s Crystal Lane achieved Silver. Lane also got Bronze in the C4-5 Women’s road race.

Karen Darke won Gold in the Women’s time trial H1-2-3 on Wednesday. Lora Turnham achieved Bronze in the Women’s time trial B, and Gold in the Women’s B 3000m individual pursuit on the track, in which Sophie Thornhill got Bronze. Also on the track, Megan Giglia won Gold in the Women’s C1-2-3 3000m individual pursuit.

Kadeena Cox won Gold in the Women’s C4-5 500m time trial on Saturday, setting a new World Record of 35.716 just 24 hours after winning bronze in the athletics.

Kadeena Cox wins track gold - just 24 hours after athletics bronze

Steve Bate won three medals in the Men’s B classification: two on the road, with Gold in Wednesday’s time trial, Bronze in the road race on Saturday, and Gold in the 4000m individual pursuit on the track. David Stone won two medals in the men’s T1-2 classification: Silver on Friday in the Men’s road race and Bronze in the men’s time trial on Wednesday.

While we're having a hard-earned break on the plane... Here's our 147.

We're coming #BAckSupercharged https://t.co/n0h3mfGe81

— ParalympicsGB (@ParalympicsGB) 19 September 2016

Britain’s Neil Fachie took Silver in the Men’s B 100m time trial. Great Britain also won Gold in the Mixed C1-5 750m Team Sprint on Sunday, the trio of Louis Rolfe, Jon-Allan Butterworth and Jody Cundy setting a new world record of 48.635. Jody Cundy also won the Men’s C4-5 1000m time trial, with a time of 1.04. Cundy still holds the world record for that event, set in 2014. Louis Rolf also won Bronze in the Men’s C2 3000m individual pursuit.

An investigation into Golbarnezhad’s crash is currently underway by the IPC, Rio 2016 organisers, local police, medical authorities and the UCI. The Paralympics road race did not include the Vista Chinesa circuit on which Holland’s Annamiek van Vleuten crashed in August.