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News posted on Thursday 21st March, 2024

Para cyclists claim silver and bronze on Day 1 of Rio 2024

Anna looks intense as she starts her race on the track

The 2024 Para Cycling Track World Championships started this morning in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and the Kiwis have already carried off two medals.

Paralympian #222 Nicole Murray (C5) raced the first final of the team in the Women’s C5 500m Time Trial and claimed bronze. Paralympian #225 Anna Taylor (C4) soon followed this up with silver in the Women’s C4 500m Time Trial.

Murray is pleased with a solid start to the week:

“Coming into one of the last big events before the Paralympics, it’s awesome to start strong and claim a medal in my first final. This will count towards the Omnium as well, so it’s setting me up well for the week. It’s my first big event racing with a new prosthetic where I connect to my bike adaptation, and that didn’t go completely smoothly this time, but long term I feel I’ll make solid gains.”

Taylor was thrilled to improve on her qualifying time, shaving off a critical half second in the 500m race:

“I went into the final trying to get a bit of redemption. In the heat I was too sleepy. I went into the final trying to give it all I got, to really be aggressive straight from the beginning. That resulted in a silver. I’m pretty happy!”

C4 Para cyclists Nick Blincoe and Ben Westenberg also kicked off their World Championships in strong form. Both secured qualification for the Men’s C4 Scratch Race, as well as delivering 8th and 9th place finishes respectively in the Omnium – 200m Flying Start. Blincoe and Westenberg proceed to the 4km Individual Pursuit tomorrow morning, while their three teammates contest the Omnium – 200m Flying Start.

Time in NZST

Event

Athlete

Result

Day 1

Thursday 1.00am-6.30am

Qualifying WC5 500m Time Trial

Nicole Murray

Qualifying WC4 500m Time Trial

Anna Taylor

Thursday 7.30am-10.45am

MC4 Omnium 200m Flying Start

Nick Blincoe
Ben Westenberg

8th
9th

WC5 500m Time Trial

Nicole Murray

Bronze

WC4 500m Time Trial

Anna Taylor

Silver

Qualifying MC4 7.5km Scratch Race

Nick Blincoe
Ben Westenberg

Day 2

Friday 1.00am-6.20am

Qualifying MC4 4km Individual Pursuit

Nick Blincoe
Ben Westenberg

WC5 Omnium 200m Flying Start

Nicole Murray

 3rd

Friday 7.00am-10.50am

WC4 Omnium 200m Flying Start

Anna Taylor

5th

MC3 Omnium 200m Flying Start

Devon Briggs

World Record!

1st (non medal event)

Day 3

Saturday 1.00am-6.15am

Qualifying MC3 3km Individual Pursuit

Devon Briggs

Qualifying WC5 3km Individual Pursuit

Nicole Murray

Qualifying WC4 3km Individual Pursuit

Anna Taylor

Saturday 7.30am-11.00am

MC4 15km Scratch Race

Nick Blincoe
Ben Westenberg

14th
7th

MC3 3km Individual Pursuit

Devon Briggs

Bronze

WC5 3km Individual Pursuit

Nicole Murray

Silver

 WC4 3km Individual Pursuit

Anna Taylor

4th

Day 4

Sunday 5.45am-9.00am

Qualifying MC4 1km Time Trial

Nick Blincoe
Ben Westenberg

Qualifying MC3 1km Time Trial

Devon Briggs

 World record!

Sunday 5.45am-9.00am

WC4 10km Scratch Race

Anna Taylor

4th

MC3 1km Time Trial

Devon Briggs

World record!

Gold

Day 5

Monday 1.00am-5.15am

Qualifying 750m Team Sprint

Anna Taylor
Nick Blincoe
Devon Briggs

Monday 6.15am-8.45am

750m Team Sprint

Anna Taylor
Nick Blincoe
Devon Briggs

6th

WC5 10km Scratch Race

Nicole Murray

Bronze

Monday 8.50am-9.10am

WC5 Omnium Award Ceremony

Monday 9.15am-11.30am

 MC3 15km Scratch Race

Devon Briggs

5th

WC Elimination Race (exhibition)

Anna Taylor

Nicole Murray

Gold

MC Elimination Race (exhibition)

Ben Westenberg
Nick Blincoe
Devon Briggs

Bronze

Monday 8.50am-9.10am

Award Ceremonies

Omnium placings

Women's C4

Anna Taylor

Bronze

Women's C5

Nicole Murray

 Silver

Men's C3

Devon Briggs

 Silver

Photos credit Miriam Jeske and Marco Antônio Teixeira, CBC

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