Clegg grabs 'once in a lifetime' gold as Paralympic dream comes true

Moments of this magnitude are rare. Many ne'er realise their dream. Stephen Clegg did, spectacularly successful Paris.

"The point I came for has yet travel true," he told BBC Scotland. "It's amazing.

"I don't deliberation I've really processed that I person done it," he said aft becoming a double Paralympic golden victor connected a glorious nighttime for nan Scot.

Clegg already had 1 golden successful nan S12 100m backstroke. This was his large one, though - nan S12 butterfly final. The 1 he really wanted. The 1 he had pursued for truthful long. The 1 he was pressuring himself to deliver.

He sewage it, rampaging past challengers from nan move to thrust to his destiny, engulfed by an unthinkable Paris La Defense Arena din.

"I still felt an immense magnitude of accent and unit to deliver," he said, citing nan conception that having 1 golden successful nan container really didn't do overmuch to thief his cause.

"It's been a erstwhile successful a life acquisition and I'll ne'er get it again. I've loved each 2nd of this.

"It's been challenging astatine times, particularly erstwhile you've had occurrence earlier successful nan week. You want to observe and outcry - outcry to nan rooftop - but you request to support each that emotion beautiful calm.

"Overall, it's been very special. I've loved nan Games. The crowd astatine La Defense Arena speaks for itself. It's for illustration thing I've ever seen earlier and I don't deliberation I ever will acquisition again."

He whitethorn beryllium right. Noise levels were disconnected nan charts arsenic Clegg barn-stormed to this victory.

He utilized that crowd to his advantage. Up against nan 17-year-old Frenchman, Kylian Portal, who was fixed a deafening invited seconds earlier nan Scot emerged.

Rather than shrink, nan 28 year-old simply lapped it up, waving his arms arsenic though nan cheers were for him. They weren't. He knew that but he didn’t care.

It was an unthinkable ambiance and mounting for this biggest of moments.

The good separator of winning and losing successful this athletics painfully played retired arsenic Portal walked past Clegg successful nan question and reply area, inconsolable and weeping, arsenic he missed a bronze by conscionable 0:04 of a second.

As nan enormity of it each began seeping in, Clegg, somehow, had nan beingness of mind to put each of this into immoderate meaningful context.

His sister, Libby, is simply a Paralympic great, personification he holds successful nan highest regard. Someone he wants to emulate, but not conscionable pinch medals.

"I look astatine my sister successful very precocious esteem, not because of what she's achieved successful badge tally," he explained. "She’s still leaps and bounds up me.

"She’s inspired a batch of group and I deliberation greatness isn't conscionable astir what you do successful your title venues, it's astir really you effect others.

"If I want to get to that level and see myself to person a bequest aliases occurrence connected a existent meaningful level successful sport, that's what I request to look astatine for nan future. Golds will travel and go.

"The effect you tin person connected early generations is what really stands for itself and nan effect you tin person connected sport.

"I deliberation that's what awesome greatness successful athletics is really about. It's not conscionable astir medals. That's what I want to effort and research and spot if I tin lucifer that successful immoderate measurement and immoderate level."

He'll do good to lucifer this accomplishment and experience. The astir memorable of golden medals for Stephen Clegg arsenic these Paralympic Games separator towards their conclusion.