Katie George Dunlevy & Eve McCrystal win silver in the Women’s B 3000m Individual Pursuit

Katie George Dunlevy, piloted by Eve McCrystal put in an exceptional performance to win silver in the Women’s B 3000m Individual Pursuit with a time of 3:21.315 today, on what is the final day of track cycling action at the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines Velodrome, Paris.  

Eve McCrystal reflected on the range of emotions they have experienced in the last couple of hours. 

“Yeah, they’re very different. When you’re so close to gold, you’re slightly disappointed you didn’t get it but we’re absolutely ecstatic with silver. It goes beyond what we knew we could do it but we’re up against three British bikes.” 

“It lets a little bit of doubt creep in. Underneath it all we knew we could do it but you have to deliver it on the day. I didn’t get to say it with RTÉ there but the staff that we have around us, I just want you to mention them. It’s such a small team but we’re treated so well. I just want to say thank you to every single one of them. Without them, we wouldn’t be here today with a medal around our necks.” 

Talking about their preparation, she said, “It’s very hard. We’re ten years together. It took us a few years to get to the top. It’s really hard to get to the top and it’s fricking harder to stay there. You have so much pressure. I don’t think we ever felt external pressure from people but it was external pressure that both of us felt to stay there. That’s just so hard to do as an athlete.  

When the two of you are together you constantly don’t want to let each other down so you’re fighting every single day – that’s the fight for the last three years coming out there in a medal. We’ve always just trusted each other. Even with the collarbone, I was like, ‘She’ll be back.’ That doesn’t faze me at all. Collarbone, whatever…” 

Katie-George echoed the same sentiments. She said, “I didn’t want to use that as an excuse really (broken collarbone), I was just focused on trying to recover from that, get training and get ready for this. I’ve had years of training behind me, it’s a matter of just getting the hours and the rehab in and I managed to. The collarbone is behind me now, even though it’s still sore at times and it reminds me that it’s still there.” 

“When it came to this we just had to fight, and we are both just fighters. We have trained damn hard to get here. We have put so much time into this to get here. We just have to really trust what we can do and the experience that we have, and just trust in ourselves and go for it. I always go, whatever will be, will be, as long as you just give your all.” 

Also qualifying for the final of their event, Martin Gordon and Eoin Mullen finished fifth in the Men’s B 1000m Time Trial. The pair recorded a time of 1:01.520.  

Martin Gordon said, “It’s just like the one that went this morning, it’s a clean start, four laps of the track, it’s an absolute all-out effort. The tactics are go as fast as you can for four laps, keep it as tight as possible on the lines.”  

“Eoin was just saying the lines were tighter on that effort but it was marginally slower. Everyone got marginally slower this afternoon but to back up the national record this morning (when they finished fifth in a time of 1:01.158, setting a new Irish national record in the qualifier), two and half hours later to go three tenths of a second slower it’s backed up, it’s a good result. It shows massive effort on our part. We’re happy with it.”  

“We had a bad crash on Monday, we didn’t know if we would be here at all today. Our coaches, our physios, our doctors, our psychologists, the mechanics, everyone who got us on that line today. Where we were on Monday, I would have taken the hand off you for what we just did today.” 

Earlier, Katie George Dunlevy, piloted by Eve McCrystal, finished second in the qualifying round of the Women’s B 3000m Individual Pursuit to book their place in the Gold Final. The pair gave it their all to come home in a time of 3:20.481.  

Josephine Healion, piloted by Linda Kelly, competed in the same qualifying round of the Women’s B 3000m Individual Pursuit. The pair finished in fifth place, narrowly missing out on qualification for the race for Bronze. They stopped the clock in 3:27.425 – a personal best by an impressive eight seconds.  

Both riders were delighted with the performance. Healion reflected, “It was phenomenal, I am really really happy with that obviously. We were going well in training yesterday; Linda and I are growing all the time on the track – strength to strength so we are really happy with it.” 

Kelly added, It was absolutely fun out there today. I didn’t want to let GB catch up, so they caught us on the second last lap. We motored and gave it socks and really enjoyed it.” 

In the same qualifier that booked Gordon and Mullen’s place in the final (when they finished fifth in a time of 1:01.158, setting a new Irish national record), Damien Vereker and Mitchell McLaughlin were also in action. They finished in tenth place, in a time of 1:06.740 in the Men’s B 1000m Time Trial qualifying round. The pair who are looking forward to focusing on the road cycling events were happy with their performance.  

Vereker said, “It was an amazing experience being here on track together again, there was an incredible light show before the start. The kilo is always a tough one, really fast, really hard but it was a good blowout. The support has been incredible, it’s getting better and better, just deadly.”  

Mitchell added, “The (road) time trial is our main event and also the road race so we’re glad to get the track done and focus more on what we’re better at. The atmosphere here in the velodrome, with all the Irish fans, has been fantastic so thanks to them for travelling over and supporting us. It’s been amazing so far.” 

In Para Rowing, Katie O’Brien and Tiarnán O’Donnell took to the water again this morning in the B Final of the PR2 Mixed Double Sculls finishing second behind the Netherlands and ahead of Turkey who took third. With Ukraine taking home gold, ahead of Poland and Great Britain in the A Final, Team Ireland can be proud of an eighth-place finish overall. 

Speaking after the race, both said they were tired and ready to enjoy some time off but are grateful they have an amazing time. Katie O’Brien said: “We have to be happy with ourselves, we know it’s not the dream finish but there are so many positives to take from this.”   

A tearful Tiarnán O’Donnell said, “The experience overall has been so intense and a bit of a blur, we will take time to look back and plan for what’s ahead but now it’s time to enjoy being Paralympians and I’m looking forward to getting to see some other sports.” 

Of the support, Katie said, “My heart actually hurts from the love and support we have gotten over these past few days. To see family, friends and neighbours, I couldn’t believe it and I will never forget those moments. ”   

Tiarnán added, “I have no words, all the people who have supported Katie and I over the past year is unreal and I am so grateful. So many people got us here and I am delighted that we are on the same stage as Olympians, we are Paralympians and we hope that others are inspired to take up Para Rowing. It’s a fantastic sport and I am hooked.”

The Paralympic triathlon events scheduled today were postponed due to concerns about the quality of water in the River Seine. Team Ireland athletes were due to start with a swim leg in the river this morning, but organisers were unhappy with the water quality following rain in the previous two days. The triathlon events have been rescheduled for Monday if continued testing shows an improvement in the water quality. 

Day 4 Paralympic Games Evening Results (Sunday 1st September): 

Day 5 Paralympics Games Full day Schedule (Monday 2nd September) (times subject to change)  

*pending qualifying results