Desperate and sad. It was with great sadness that Kadeena Cox left the Paris Paralympic velodrome last Thursday after suffering a fall that prevented her from repeating the gold medal she won at the last two Games. She fell during the 500m C4-5 time trial. Once she had recovered, the officials did not allow her to continue as it was not a mechanical failure.

Kadeena Cox described the 2024 Paralympics as "a nightmare I can't wake up from" after her crash, according to the BBC. Cox struggled out of the blocks in the final before slipping and falling. The British rider's tears silenced the velodrome as she was the clear favourite to win. Her problems were compounded by the fact that she was unable to compete as a para-cyclist and para-athlete due to a calf injury. This has prevented her from competing in athletics.

"At the last two Paralympics I woke up next to a medal and was grateful that it wasn't a dream. Today feels like a nightmare I can't wake up from!" Cox wrote on Instagram.

Her sadness was deep, and she apologised to fans who had hoped she would repeat her success of three years ago. "It's hard to put into words how I feel. I thought this moment would be worth it after everything I've fought to recover from this past year. Everything I thought about while trying to regain the strength to walk, let alone run or cycle," she added.

Her words were harsh, and resignation seemed to be her only option. "I learnt a hard lesson yesterday: Sometimes it just doesn't happen, whether you think you deserve it or not," she said.

The victory went to Dutch cyclist Caroline Groot. She inadvertently took advantage of Cox's absence to become Paralympic champion. Cox suffered no major injuries and is hoping to be able to race for Great Britain in the C1-5 team sprint on Sunday.

Cox is hoping to add another medal to her tally of six, four of which are gold. She was disappointed. However, she took to social media to send a message of optimism for the coming events. "Sport can be cruel, multiple sclerosis can be cruel, living with an eating disorder can be cruel, but I tell myself what I'd tell the riders in my academy: True strength is in how you bounce back against all odds," she said.

The British rider has always been a role model and inspiration to many athletes and para-athletes, so she did not want to sink after the accident and tried to put a more positive spin on it. "Strength is in how you keep showing up, even when you want to hide. And in how you pick yourself up, put your crown back on your head and fight to show the world what you're really capable of," she said.