Sligo native Martin Gordon has made the decision to call time on his Para cycling career which has spanned two Paralympic Games. The sprint specialist most recently competed at Paris 2024.
Gordon lost his sight at the age of 17 due to an unexpected complication relating to glaucoma. His Para cycling journey began when he participated in charity cycle from Mizen to Malin Head to raise money for Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind. While he did not take on the entirety of the 466 km trek, his first experience on a tandem bike sparked a journey that would lead to him representing Ireland in Tokyo 2021 and Paris 2024.
Paired with pilot Eamonn Byrne, Gordon first represented Ireland at the Para-cycling World Championships in 2017. The duo went on to win Silver at a 2018 UCI Track World Cup event in London. In Tokyo Gordon and Byrne finished fifth in the Men’s 1km Time Trial B. Byrne retired after the Tokyo Games, which opened the door for a new partnership with Eoin Mullen.
Gordon and Mullen finished in fifth place at the 2023 World Championships in the Men’s Tandem Sprint. In Paris the duo competed in two events: the Men’s B 4000m Individual Pursuit and the Men’s B 1,000m Time Trial where they set a new Irish Record and finished fifth despite suffering a nasty crash just days beforehand.
For this, he was recently honoured at the Paralympics Ireland Paris 2024 Ball alongside Mullen with the Aer Lingus Outstanding Male Contribution Award.
Gordon studied Law at NUI Galway (now known as University of Galway) and Trinity College before qualifying as a barrister in 2010. Martin works within the legal division of An Garda Síochána who have supported him to compete at both the Paris and Tokyo Games.
Reflecting on his retirement, Martin Gordon expressed gratitude for the support he has received throughout his career, “Growing up I looked up to people like Roy Keane and Keith Wood and just like so many others I too imagined what it must be like to wear the green of Ireland. For the past number of years, I have had the joy of knowing what that feels like and I get to carry that for the rest of my life.
Paris was without doubt the highlight of my cycling career and what better place and time to bring that career to a close. It has been such an honour and privilege to have been part of Team Ireland at two Paralympic Games.
I would like to thank all those who have been part of what has been an incredible part of my life. As this great chapter of my life finishes, I look forward to hopefully the next great thing finding me. I would like to pay special tribute to my partner Louise and our daughter Nora for their support and encouragement not to mention their patience, my parents Ronald and Margaret for supporting and motivating me throughout my life and my strength and conditioning coach, Noel Murphy who made me the very best athlete I could be.
I wish all those athletes and their coaches who remain part of Team Ireland every success and to the up and coming athletes, I hope your dream comes true in LA and Brisbane.”
Stephen McNamara, CEO of Paralympics Ireland said, “On behalf of the Paralympics Ireland, I want to extend our congratulations to Martin Gordon as he retires from competitive Para cycling today. As Martin’s competitive career, which spanned two Paralympic Games is concluding, we must commend his commitment to Para sport. Martin’s passion for inclusion has been invaluable to Team Ireland and we know that his influence will continue to encourage positive change in society. We are immensely proud of all he has accomplished over the course of his career and wish him every success in the next chapter of his journey.”
Jamie Blanchfield, National Para-cycling Coach said, “I’d like to congratulate Martin on a long and successful career. He exits the programme as a two time Paralympian and has represented his country multiple times on the World Stage, a track record he can be proud of! I wish Martin all the best in whatever comes next.”
Martin Gordon’s Career Highlights
Para-cycling World Championship debut in 2017
Fifth in the Men’s B 1000m Time Trial at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games
Fifth in the Men’s B Sprint at the 2023 UCI World Championships
Sixth in the Men’s B 1km Time Trial at the 2024 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships
Fifth in the Men’s B 1000m Time Trial at the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games
