Ex-serviceman injured in Iraq wins gold in cycling at Paralympics

Cyclist Jon-Allan Butterworth has become the first British serviceman or woman injured in Iraq or Afghanistan to win a Paralympic gold medal.

The 30-year-old from Sutton Coldfield won gold in the C1-5 mixed team sprint at the Rio Paralympics on Sunday with Jody Cundy and Louis Rolfe.

Butterworth, a forrner RAF weapons technician who lost his left arm in 20017 following a rocket attack in Basra, Iraq, claimed three silver medals at London 2012.

He has previously said that winning a gold medal at Rio "would be really nice to finish off that collection".

The ex-serviceman was supported to Paralympics victory by a partnership between military charity Help for Heroes, British Cycling, The British Paralympic Association and UK Sport.

The gold rush kicked off on day four with Rachel Morris, Britain's first medal winner of the day.

The 37-year-old from Guildford, who made the transition from cycling to rowing after London 2012, won arms-shoulders single sculls to claim Paralympic gold just eight years after cycling time-trial gold in Beijing.

Lauren Rowles and Laurence Whiteley triumphed in the double sculls event and the mixed coxed four team were victorious, too, taking Britain's tally to 18 gold medals.

Then Lora Turnham and her pilot Corrine Hall claimed Britain's seventh gold at the velodrome with victory in the tandem three-kilometres pursuit.

The successes took ParalympicsGB's tally to 20 golds.