Katie George Dunlevy and Eve McCrystal delivered Ireland’s second medal of the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships on Friday, August 4th.
The women’s tandem pair took victory in the bronze medal ride against France, leading from the opening time split to take a resounding win.
Reunited on the track after missing the 2022 Para-cycling Track World Championships, the duo once again proved a winning formula as they added another medal to their list of accolades as a tandem pairing.
Their time of 3:28.792 saw them finish .409 seconds ahead of their French rivals and secure third place on the podium.
Katie George Dunlevy said:
“I’m emotional, really really relieved. I was just so nervous going into that race. We didn’t have a great ride the other day and we were working on a few things yesterday in the 1km (time trial) – we were just trying to deliver what we did yesterday today. We just fought to the line and we were able to get that bronze medal. I can’t quite believe it really!”
Eve McCrystal said:
“We swap over for the road (next), Katie will be with Linda (Kelly) and I’ll be with Josie (Healion), so myself and Josie are more concentrating on the road race – we work together in the road race and to have another Irish tandem on the road is great and the girls are really going for it in the time trial.”
Martin Gordon and his pilot Eoin Mullen got their Championship campaign off to a start today competing in the MB 1km Time Trial. The pair finished in 7th place just missing out on a qualification, but a lot of positives to take away from their ride setting a new PB and recording their best start out of the gate and best opening 500m. They will race again in the sprint event on Sunday. Damien Vereker and Mitchell McLaughlin withdrew from the 1km Time Trial on medical grounds.
Just a day after winning bronze, Ronan Grimes set a new national record in the MC4 1km Time Trial finishing in 8th place with a time of 1:08.154. William Clifford finished 13th in the 1km Time Trial in the MC3 category.
Richael Timothy (WC3) and Chris Burns (MC2) were also in action today competing in the 200m Time Trial, with Burns picking up an impressive second place. The non medal event forms part of the omnium with riders ranked on their results across four races.
Para-Cycling Track Results
Men B 1km Time Trial – Qualifying: Martin Gordon & Eoin Mullen – 7th
Men B 1km Time Trial – Qualifying: Damien Vereker & Mitchell McLaughlin – DNS
Men C3 1km Time Trial – Qualifying: William Clifford – 13th
Men C4 1km Time Trial – Qualifying: Ronan Grimes – 8th
Men C2 200m Flying Start Time Trial – Final (Omnium): Chris Burns – 2nd
Women C3 200m Flying Start Time Trial – Final (Omnium): Richael Timothy – 3rd
Women B 3km Individual Pursuit – Bronze Medal Ride Off: Katie George Dunlevy & Eve McCrystal – Bronze
Schedule – Saturday , August 8th
Para-Track
19:21 Men C2 Scratch Race (Omnium): Chris Burns
20:06 Men C3 Scratch Race (Omnium): William Clifford
