Ireland name strong team for Paracycling Track World Championships

Ireland will send a strong team to the UCI Paracycling Track World Championships next month, with Tokyo Games and World Championships silver-medallists Katie-George Dunlevy and Eve McCrystal leading the charge.

A nine-strong contingent will compete at the championships in Paris from 20 to 23 October.

Dunlevy and McCrystal will target the pursuit and kilo events, while Richael Timothy, Ronan Grimes and Chris Burns feature in a range of events.

Men's duos Martin Gordon and Eoin Mullen, as well as Damien Vereker and Marcin Mizgajski, round off an exciting selection.

With a men’s and women’s early quota place on offer for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, the championships resemble a chance to earn crucial Nations ranking points.

"With one female and one male qualification slot available at the end of this year, everyone will be doing their utmost to perform at their best and earn adequate Nations ranking points to secure those two early quota places for the Paris 2024 Games," said Team Ireland head coach Neill Delahaye.

The velodrome in Saint-Quentine-en-Yvelines is the same arena that will be used in the Games.

Delahaye added: "The velodrome in Saint-Quentine-en-Yvelines is the track cycling location for Paris 2024 which also gives us an early opportunity to race at the Games venue which will be a valuable experience for the riders and support team.

"We have not raced on the Track since Tokyo and everyone is looking forward to getting back on the boards for some fast and hard racing."

Team Ireland

Pursuit & Kilo: Katie-George Dunlevy & Eve McCrystal

Pursuit, Kilo, Scratch, Omnium (200 is additional event to make up a 4 race Omnium): Ronan Grimes

Pursuit, 500, Scratch, Omnium (200 is additional event to make up a 4 race Omnium): Richael