Sugar targeting third Paralympic gold in a row

Great Britain’s Paralympic canoeing champion Laura Sugar has already set her sights on winning a third successive gold medal in Los Angeles in 2028.

The 33-year-old secured back-to-back titles in the KL3 200m event despite strong winds on the final day of action in Paris.

Sugar won her first KL3 Paralympic gold in Tokyo in 2021, three years after switching from track and field sprinting to canoe racing.

Following another victory in France, Sugar said she would “love” to make it a hat-trick of gold medals in the United States in four years.

“I want to,” Sugar told BBC Essex’s Sport Extra show.

“You can never say definitely because of funding or injuries but I want to go in this sport for as long as I possibly can.

“I have a lot of family who live out in California so it’s almost like a second home games out there in LA.

She added: “I would love to go there but you have to take it year by year. Just getting on the team is hard, let alone getting a medal, so you can’t take anything for granted.

“But that’s definitely the aim – to try and go to LA and see what happens.”

Sugar said the blustery conditions at Vaires-sur-Marne on Sunday helped her beat home athlete Nelia Barbosa, who took silver, and Germany’s bronze medallist Felicia Laberer.

“We train in the UK so we were the best prepared,” she said.

“I had so many comments from people from around the world being like, ‘Why aren’t they cancelling it, why aren’t they moving it?’

“I already knew that I was going to be a bit nervous because there was a crosswind and that is probably the hardest to paddle in technically because it can just swipe you sideways.

“But I knew deep down we were the best prepared because we have those really tough winds in Nottingham and we are so used to dealing with the elements.”

Her husband Tom Collett said it was “incredible” to watch Sugar retain the gold medal and is also backing her to compete again in Los Angeles.

“It’s a pleasure to be part of Laura’s life and her journey,” he added.

“I hope she gets to go to LA as well because it will be another fantastic trip and something we would be very grateful for.”

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