Four Paralympic titles were awarded on day three of the Paralympic Games para-cycling track programme at the National Velodrome in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines. The winners in the Men’s C1-3 time trial, Men’s C4 and C5 individual pursuits and Women’s C1-3 time trial all retain the titles won at the Tokyo 2020 Games.
Zhangyu Li won his second gold medal of the Paralympic Games Paris 2024 and the sixth of his career with his victory in the C1-3 1000m time trial on day three of the para-cycling track programme at the National Velodrome in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines. Li’s 1’03”480 held off countryman Weicong Liang, who won silver in 1’04”103. France’s Alexandre Léauté won bronze in 1’04”207 and lowered his own C2 1000m time trial world record (1’07”944) from the morning’s qualifiers. Great Britain’s Jaco van Gass finished fourth in a new C4 world record of 1’04”825.
Thirty-six-year-old Li, who has cerebral palsy, was behind Liang throughout the final until the final lap, when he took 0.6-sec off his rival for a superb gold.
Li broke the world record and won China’s first gold medal of these Games in Thursday’s C1 3000m individual pursuit, beating Liang in the final. He is becoming one of the legends of para-cycling after winning his first Paralympic gold in the men’s C1-C3 1000m time trial in London 2012, followed by two golds in Rio and a gold in Tokyo. He also has two Paralympic silver medals and one bronze.
France’s Dorian Foulon won the men’s C5 4000m individual pursuit in 4’16”169, averaging 56.213km/hr on his way to his second successive C5 title after winning in Tokyo. Ukraine’s Yehor Dementyev, who has won three Paralympic gold medals in his career, won silver in 4’17”785. The USA’s Elouan Gardon won bronze.
In the morning’s qualifier, Dementyev had broken Foulon’s world record with a 4’17”456. It didn’t last long, however, as 26-year-old Foulon came back with 4’13”934.
The seven-time UCI World Champion is the second para-cyclist from Brittany to win gold after Alexandre Léauté’s victory in the men’s C2 3000m individual pursuit.
“I was really hurting after eight laps and I knew it was down to one second, so it was really down to mental strength,” said Foulon. “I had both ears open to hear the crowd and I wanted them to push me. Now there’s the road race on Wednesday, and I’m aiming for gold in the time trial, but even a podium finish would be great.”
Slovakia’s Jozef Metelka retained his men’s C4 4000m individual-pursuit title in dramatic circumstances as 20-year-old Archie Atkinson (GBR) – who had broken the world record in the morning (4’17”70) – toppled off his bike when leading by 5-sec with around 300m to go. France’s Gatien le Rousseau beat compatriot Kévin le Cunff for bronze.
“I didn’t expect that in a million years,” said Metelka. “I see Archie is on the ground and think, not good [for Archie]. I first think [winning like that is] not great but I then think, ‘yes!’”
Australia’s Amanda Reid retained her title in the women’s C1-C3 500m time trial. The 27-year-old’s 36”676 won her gold ahead of China’s Wangwei Qian (factored time of 37”616), who added silver to her bronze from Tokyo. Qian’s real time of 40”878 lowered her C1 world record from the morning’s qualifiers.
“The last 12 months have been hard so to win back-to-back titles is amazing,” Reid said. “I tried not to think about the race too much and just go for it.”
Reid’s victory continues her dominance in this category. At the 2024 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships in Rio, she won her fifth UCI World title in a row.
Results available here
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.