In the velodrome which saw so much success for Team GB at the Olympics earlier this summer, the 38-year-old Para-cyclist caught fellow Brit Crystal Lane, who had to settle for silver, after just 1,375m of the C5 3,000m individual pursuit final.

The gold medal was part of an early haul for ParalympicsGB, with Steve Bate – and pilot Adam Duggleby – and Megan Giglia also winning gold medals in the same session.

Storey, who trains at the hugely successful Manchester velodrome, had already obliterated her own C5 3km world record in the qualifying heats.

By retaining her London 2012 title, Storey overtakes Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson’s previous record of 11 golds, and shared an emotional hug with her idol in the mixed zone.

Storey’s remarkable career started in Barcelona in 1992, with a switch from swimming to cycling in 2005 due to an ear infection. Storey came in to her seventh Olympic Games just three years after giving birth to daughter Louisa.