Tandem duo keep medals in sights
LOUTH athlete Eve McCrystal and her tandem paracyclist Katie George Dunlevy are fighting to keep their medal hopes alive at the Paralympic games in Rio.
Eve is a ‘pilot’ for Katie- George who is competing in four different cycling events in the Paralympic games.
Competing as a duo, they are both striving to come home with a medal, despite the initial disappointments which although have seen them set a new personal best, has failed as yet to produce any silverware.
On Sunday, they missed out on a place in the bronze medal race of the women’s individual pursuit by an agonising two tenths of a second.
Eve and Katie George admitted their huge disappointment at finishing in a fifth place in a time of 3:33.471.
Just outside the fourth place that would have seen through to a medal race.
‘We are both so disappointed, its hard to take. We both did great performances and faster than we have ever gone. It just was not fast enough.’
Team Dunlevy and McCrystal got off to a slow start and were in seventh place by the one kilometre mark,
But showing their stamina, they ramped up the pace to improve to fifth at the halfway stage.
Despite their best efforts, it was the highest they would reach.
But with two races still to go, the duo said they are keeping their medal dreams alive as they still have the road race and time trial to look forward to later this week where hopes will be high.
‘We will refocus this evening and go out Wednesday with extra fire in our belly,’ said Eve.
‘ Thanks to everyone for your support it means so much to us.’
Support for both athletes has been firm from home. But their was a special surprise for Eve from St. Fursey’s school in Haggardstown, where her two young children Ava and Nessa are pupils.
Along with their classmates they proudly raised a huge flag in support of their mum and Katie George ahead of their first race in Rio at the end of last week.
With the hopes of Louth and the whole country resting on their shoulders, Team Dunlevy and McCrystal will compete tomorrow ( Wednesday) at 5pm in the 30kilometre road race.
Their final event on Saturday 17th will see them pull out all the stops for the 85 kilometre road race, which also begins at 5pm.
Having claimed gold in the 2016 UCI Para- Cycling Road World Cup time trial and the road race events earlier this year, the duo will certainly be optimistic of their chances to push for a medal before the week is out.
Good luck Team Dunlevy and McCrystal!