Some 220 para-cyclists will compete for 51 Paralympic titles across the track and road disciplines at the Paralympic Games Paris 2024. In this first of two para-cycling track previews, we concentrate on the sprint events (time trials and mixed team sprint) taking place in the National Velodrome in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, which saw high speeds and multiple world records in the recent Olympic Games Paris 2024.
The para-cycling track competitions run from Thursday 29 to Sunday 1st September for athletes in the C and B sport classes.
The medalists from the last Paralympic Games (Tokyo 2020) and the 2024 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships provide a good guide for who to watch for…
Women’s time trials: 500m and 1km against the clock
The first medals will be awarded on 29 August in the women’s C4-5 500m time trials, and there are some big names to look out for: at Tokyo 2020, Kadeena Cox (GBR) set a world record to beat Kate O'Brien (CAN) and Caroline Groot (NED). Then at March’s 2024 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championship Cox won the C4 and Groot the C5.
The women’s time trials over 500m continue on the 31st, for the C1-3 sport classes. In Tokyo, Amanda Reid (AUS) set a world record, beating Alyda Norbruis (NED) and Qian Wangwei (CHN). And in the 2024 UCI Track Worlds, Wangwei claimed the C1, Reid the C2 and China’s Wang Xiaomei the C3 classification.
In the women’s B class – for visually impaired athletes on tandems with their sighted pilots – the time trial is held over 1000m and will take place on 30 August.
At the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, the Netherlands’ Larissa Klaassen with her pilot Imke Brommer beat Britain’s Aileen McGlynn and Helen Scott, with Belgium’s Griet Hoet and Anneleen Monsieur taking bronze. At this year’s UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships it was Britain’s Elizabeth Jordan with pilot Dannielle Khan taking the gold from compatriots Sophie Unwin and Jenny Holl, and Australia’s Jessica Gallagher and Caitlin Ward.
A battle to book into your calendar!
Men’s time trials: Paralympic and UCI World Champions in the mix
The men’s C4-5 time trial final is in the afternoon of 30 August. In this event over 1000m (the kilo) at Tokyo 2020, Alfonso Cabello (ESP) set a world record, beating Jody Cundy (GBR) and Jozef Metelka (SVK). At the 2024 UCI Worlds, Cundy won the C4 classification and Great Britain’s Blaine Hunt pipped Cabello in the C5.
On the 31st it’s the C1-3 kilo. At Tokyo, it was a world record for China’s Li Zhangyu, who beat Alexandre Léauté (FRA) and Jaco van Gass (GBR). In the 2024 UCI World Champs, Zhangyu won the C1, Léauté the C2, and New Zealand’s Devon Briggs set a world record to beat Van Gass in the C3 classification. It’s all set up for a great competition.
The men’s B kilo is on 1st September. At the 2020 Paralympics, Great Britain’s Neil Fachie and his pilot Matt Rotherham set a world record time to beat their compatriots James Ball and Lewis Stewart, with France’s Raphael Beaugillet and François Pervis taking bronze.
In the 2024 UCI Para-cycling Track Worlds it was the same pairs first and second, with Germany’s Thomas Ulbricht and Robert Förstemann third.
C1-5 mixed team sprint: Can Great Britain repeat?
The team sprint closes the track events on 1st September. As seen at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, three riders from the C1-5 sport classes make up each team. Teams can be made up of all men, all women or a mix.
In Tokyo, the British trio (Cox, Van Gass and Cundy) edged out the Chinese in the final while Spain beat France for bronze. But in the 2024 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships in March, the rainbow jerseys went to the world record-holding Chinese trio of Li Zhangyu, Wu Guoqing and Lai Shanzhang, clear winners against Britain, with bronze going to Italy.
Para-cycling sport classes on the track
C – Cycle: conventional bike with adaptations if necessary
B – Tandem: for visually impaired athletes with sighted pilot
Group C is divided into different sport classes, with the lower the number indicating a higher level of impairment.