GB track team in form ahead of Paris 2024
Para-squad picks up record 32 medals at Rio Track Worlds, reports Tom Davidson
Great Britain secured its best-ever medal haul at the Para-cycling Track World Championships in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, last week, the final event before this summer’s Paralympics.
The para-track squad took home 32 medals, 13 of which were gold, to top the table for the third year running. Only China won more gold medals, edging the Brits with 14.
Among the standout performers for GB were tandem duo Lizzi Jordan and Dannielle Khan, who claimed three world titles in their first event as a pairing.
“It was really special to get a win together in our first race,” said Jordan, who lost her sight in 2017 after a severe reaction to E. coli food poisoning, and only took up cycling in 2020. “To do it again two more times, it’s a bit unreal really,” she added.
Army veteran Jaco van Gass also added three new world titles to his tally, showing fine form as he looks to defend two Paralympic golds in Paris this August.
“It’s phenomenal,” said Van Gass, winner of the men’s C3 omnium, scratch race and individual pursuit, and runnerup in the C3 kilo and mixed team sprint. “I’m very pleased and very happy,” he added. “I’ve never won [the IP] at a World Championships, and it’s amazing to finally have this one in the collection.”
There was success, too, for Paralympic legends Jody Cundy and Neil Fachie. The former ticked off a 15th consecutive victory in the C4 kilo, while the latter reached a milestone 20th world title on the tandem.
Sadly, Fachie was also the victim of a mugging in Rio, being robbed of his possessions and silver mixed tandem sprint medal. His wife Lora Fachie and her tandem pilot Corrine Hall were also victims. “We’re all OK, other than being shaken up,” two-time Paralympic champion Neil wrote on X. British Cycling shared a statement with Cycling Weekly saying that they had reported the incident to the UCI, the local organising committee, and the police.
“It was really special to get a win together in our first race”