Katie-George Dunlevy and Eve McCrystal delivered Ireland’s first Para Cycling medal of the Tokyo Paralympic Games after they took silver in the B 3000m Individual Pursuit with a time of 3:21.505. The medal is only the third ever for Ireland on the cycling track at the Paralympic Games.
The dynamic duo showed incredible speed in their qualifying round where they set a new World Record of 3:19:946 in the event. Their time put them into the final gold medal race up against the British duo of Lora Fachie and Corinne Hall who immediately broke that record in the next and final run.
"The silver medal means the world to us"
A proud moment for Team Ireland's Katie-George Dunlevy and Eve McCrystal as they received their silver medals #rtesport #paralympics #paracycling
📱 Live updates - https://t.co/zNKvYuZeFn
📺Watch live - https://t.co/RANaZnophs pic.twitter.com/vgL0NFj19E— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) August 28, 2021
The two tandem pairs faced off for gold in the Final but it was the British pair that made the better start and though Katie-George and Eve managed to reel in their rivals in the middle thousand meters, the pairing of Fachie and Hall ultimately re-established their lead before crossing the line to win gold.
This was an outstanding effort from Dunlevy and McCrystal who completed their campaign on the track with this medal winning performance to set themselves up well for their much favoured road campaign next week.
Dunlevy and Eve McCrystal are Ireland’s most successful para-cyclists ever. Since their debut in 2014 they have won nine medals at World Road Championships (5 gold, 4 silver), three more at World Track Championships, (1 silver, 2 bronze in 3km) and two medals at the Rio Paralympics (gold in Time Trial, silver in the Road Race).
Eve McCrystal said “I think we did ourselves proud, we left nothing to chance, no stone was left unturned by our coach Neill (Delahaye) and Cycling Ireland. He made sure that we would get here in best possible form. To get that performance, I just can’t believe it. I’m so proud of Katie and I know she is proud of me – I am just so happy that we did this.”
Katie-George Dunlevy said “I’m in a bit of shock, it is absolutely amazing. If someone said to me before that I would get a medal in the pursuit I would never have thought it in my wildest dreams. We were hoping to do a good ride and get a PB. To get that and a world record, I’m just speechless.”
"The silver medal means the world to us"
A proud moment for Team Ireland's Katie-George Dunlevy and Eve McCrystal as they received their silver medals #rtesport #paralympics #paracycling
📱 Live updates - https://t.co/zNKvYuZeFn
📺Watch live - https://t.co/RANaZnophs pic.twitter.com/vgL0NFj19E— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) August 28, 2021
Elsewhere, Greta Streimikyte, Ireland’s first athlete on the track, suffered heartbreak a as she finished fifth, in a time of 4:34.82, in an extremely fast and tactical T13 1500m final. Having finished fourth in Rio in 2016 and lowering her personal best to 4:29.33 this season she had high hopes of a podium finish but, in the 32 degree heat and 53% humidity, never looked her usual smooth self.
The race was quickly strung out by Ethiopian debutant Gezahagn Menigstu but the Dubliner bravely overtook the defending champion Somaya Bousaid with 300m to go, only for the Tunisian and Veronika Zotova (RPC) to come back and round her before the final bend in an eventful last lap. Menigstu (21) and America’s silver medallist Liza Corso both ran personal bests of 4:23.24 and 4:30.67 and 2016 champion Bousaid got up to take bronze.
“I’m very disappointed. I’ve run faster than that this season but it just wasn’t there tonight. I really tried so I have no regrets but I just don’t know what happened because I know I have more in me than this.
“I was fighting for bronze and I clipped the Tunisian and then a girl fell. There was a bit of drama on the track but that’s what happens when we’re all fighting for that medal but in the end it’s only the fastest that matters.
“I really went for it on the back straight because I saw the girl in second. I thought I can catch her, but then another girl came from nowhere and I knew I was done, even though I tried to keep going all the way through the finish line. I left it all out there.”
