Pursuit bronze for Ronan Grimes at Para-cycling Track World Championships

Ireland kicked off the UCI and Para-cycling World Championships in Glasgow in style as Ronan Grimes claimed bronze in the men's C4 individual pursuit and women's tandem pairing Katie George Dunlevy and Eve McCrystal qualified for the individual pursuit bronze medal ride on Friday.

Grimes put in a brilliant ride to record a time of 4:34.015 and comprehensively beat French rider Gatien Le Rousseau to secure Ireland's first medal of the championships.

Grimes said: "I'm really emotional after that. I think it's probably the best result that I've done. I know last year I won the road race, but in an individual pursuit against the strongest C4 [lower limb impairment] field that's ever been there - I wasn't expecting to get that medal.

"The French rider I was up against beat me in every time trial this year so I thought this wouldn't work. It wasn't a great ride or as fast as yesterday but there was a bit of grunt there that got me through the line. I'm delighted."

Grimes was also in men's C4 omnium action where he picked up 22 points with a 10th place finish in the 200m time trial. He will be back in action in the 1km time trial qualification on Friday.

In the 1km time trial final, Dunlevy and McCrystal set a strong time of 1:11:580 to finish in sixth place and build up some track time ahead of Friday's bronze medal ride.

Wednesday's Para-cycling Track World Championships individual pursuit saw other Irish riders put in strong performances at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome.

Richael Timothy (WC3) set a new personal best and national record to finish in sixth place. Chris Burns (MC2) also set a new PB finishing in 11th place and William Clifford (MC3) finished in 14th place.

Josephine Healion and Linda Kelly placed an encouraging seventh