The Irish cyclists at the Tokyo Paralympic Games have enjoyed a fantastic day of TT action today, with gold for Katie George Dunlevy and Eve McCrystal and bronze for Gary O’Reilly on his debut at this level.
Dunlevy and McCrystal, who took pursuit silver on the track last week, blasted to victory in the women’s B time trial. The prolific duo – champions in Rio five years ago and TT world champions three times since then – absolutely dominated the eight-bike race.
They clocked a time of 47:32:07 to finish exactly one minute clear of Great Britain’s Lora Fachie and Corrine Hall; the Irish getting revenge over the duo who had beat them on the track last week. Sweden took the bronze today.
That takes the Paralympic medal tally to date for Dunlevy, who is partially sighted, and her tandem pilot McCrystal to four as they also won gold and silver on the TT and road race in Rio five years ago.
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They may well take that career medal haul to five very soon as their road race effort is still to come at these Games; an event they have mostly dominated in recent years.
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Irish handcyclist Gary O’Reilly was also celebrating in Japan today as he claimed bronze for Ireland in the men’s H5 time trial at the Fuji International Speedway.
O’Reilly, who was left with life-changing spinal injuries
in a workplace accident in 2014, clocked a time of 39:36.46 today to secure the
final step on the podium; an incredible Paralympic debut for the Laois man.
The Paralympic title was won by Mitch Valize of the Netherlands,
in a time of 38:12.94. France’s Loic Vergnaud took silver in 39:15.16.
Also in action today, Ireland's Richael Timothy was 14th in the C1-3 time trial with a time of 30:55.24 and Ronan Grimes was 6th in the C4 time trial in 47:40.06, coming after his 4th place finish in the pursuit last week.
Lots more to come.
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