Paralympian who was hit by a car last week wins gold, years after Afghanistan war injury

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South African-British cyclist Jaco van Gass won gold in the men’s 3000-meter individual pursuit and set a new world record at the Paralympics just one week after being hit by a car in Paris. 

Just days ago, during a training exercise, van Gass was rounding a corner when a car pulled up and slammed into him and his bike. At that moment, he believed his chance at defending his Paralympic gold medal was gone. But somehow, he ended up better than expected. 

"I was heartbroken … I had a big cut on my head, but I had a few scans, and I was cleared. I was looked after really well," he told reporters. "The next day is always the hardest, because that’s when you’re very sore and stiff. The Saturday was very hard to comprehend – will I be riding? By the Sunday, I was on the track."

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Gold medalist, Jaco van Gass, Silver medalist, Finlay Graham of Team Great Britain and Bronze medalist, Alexandre Hayward of Team Canada pose for a photo on the podium after the Men's C3 3000m Individual Pursuit Final on day two of the Paris 2024 Summer Paralympic Games at Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines Velodrome on August 30, 2024, in Paris, France.  (Michael Steele/Getty Images)

Van Gass made it back to the velodrome in time for his competitions in Paris and defeated his teammate Fin Graham in the final with a record-breaking performance for Team Great Britain. 

"I wasn’t worried about the cuts, but my knee was really badly bruised, but within two days I was back on the bike," van Gass added of his injuries. "I did a session at the velodrome, and then I knew I’d be okay. After all, it was only a Renault!"

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