2024 Paralympics: Stephen Clegg overwhelmed to finally realise dream

Having successful sporting siblings can help or hinder. In Clegg’s case, it seems to have been a key driver to this moment when it all came together.

While some athletes attempt to contain their feelings in these moments and not show true emotion, Clegg couldn’t.

This clearly meant everything to him as he stood, shivering and wide-eyed, just 100 metres away from where he’d just conquered the most memorable 100 metres he’s had to date.

Make no mistake, this was a man on a mission in the pool and how he delivered.

Clegg was never letting this chance slip from his grasp in front of a boisterous Paris La Defense Arena crowd.

“Sensational, I don’t have many words to say,” he mustered, as it started to sink in. “It’s eluded me for quite a long time, and it’s just so, so gratifying to get the monkey off my back.”

Success such as this doesn’t come overnight.

There are ups and downs all along that journey on route to a first-ever gold, to add to his Tokyo takings of a silver and two bronze medals three years ago.

“Growing up, I didn’t think I was ever going to be Paralympic champion and a lot of people didn’t think that’d be possible for me either,” he said.

“I was confident, don’t get me wrong. I wasn’t coming in through this year thinking this was out of the possibility.

“Three years ago, I missed out by something like 6-1 hundredths of a second and that crushed me. But now I got it, and in a world record time.

“Doing it in a time that no-one has ever done before is something I’m really overwhelmed by.”

In this moment, Clegg has achieved more than gold. The monkey is off the back and with two more events to come in Paris, might this just be the beginning?