The fifth and final day of competition on the velodrome in Rio’s Barra Olympic and Paralympic Park was packed with medal-winning action in the sprint finals, the conclusion of the omniums, and the exhibition elimination races. The global array of podium positions in Brazil reflected the record 39 different nations represented.
Team sprint: China force the win!
The first rainbow jerseys of the final day of the 2024 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships went to China after a mixed M/WC1-5 750m team sprint that kept everyone guessing until the end.
China’s time of 48.450 seconds represented an average speed of 55.727km/h. World record-holders Great Britain had to be content with silver, coming in +0.297. Australia took the bronze medal.
And we have our first winners of the day 🔥
— UCI Para-Cycling (@UCI_paracycling) March 24, 2024
China 🇨🇳 turned out on top on the Mixed Team Sprint, taking the first rainbow jerseys of this final day of competition🙌
@Rio2024 pic.twitter.com/804hJeICx4
WB sprint: Jordan and Khan are top Brits
The gold medal race was all-British, with fastest qualifiers Elizabeth Jordan and pilot Dannielle Khan facing Sophie Unwin and pilot Jenny Holl. Jordan and Khan took the first race, and when they came over the top in race 2, it was all over.
The bronze medal race saw Australia’s Jessica Gallagher and pilot Caitlin Ward take on the Italian tandem of Chiara Colombo and pilot Elena Bissolati. The Australians won the first race clearly, then held off an Italian fight in race 2 to claim the bronze.
And the queens 👸
— UCI Para-Cycling (@UCI_paracycling) March 24, 2024
Elizabeth Jordan and Danielle Khan 🇬🇧 were once again unbelievable on track taking the win on the WB Sprint race 🙌#Rio2024 pic.twitter.com/22CwyNZaH7
MB sprint: unstoppable Fachie
Racing for gold, France’s Raphaël Beaugillet and pilot Quentin Caleyron faced Britain’s Neil Fachie and pilot Matthew Rotherham. Team GB burst down the inside to win race 1, then put the hammer down on the final lap of race 2 to take the rainbow jersey.
Great Britain’s James Ball and pilot Steffan Lloyd were up against Team USA’s Michael Stephens and pilot Joe Christiansen in the battle for bronze. A hard-fought race 1 went to Team GB, who backed it up in race 2 to confirm the medal.
The kings of the track 👑
— UCI Para-Cycling (@UCI_paracycling) March 24, 2024
Neil Fachie and Matthew Rotherham 🇬🇧 took gold on the MB Sprint race 🥇 #Rio2024 pic.twitter.com/y3ZdrVmLGf
Women’s omnium: scratch races confirm winners
The first of the day’s 40-lap scratch races, the WC5 10km, saw French rider Marie Patouillet emerge the winner from Claudia Cretti (ITA) and Nicole Murray (NZL). The result confirmed the WC5 omnium bronze for Cretti, silver to Murray, and the 2024 UCI World Champion title to Patouillet.
Marie Pattouillet 🇫🇷 takes the win on the WC5 scratch race 🥇#Rio2024 pic.twitter.com/sdacnRuTfq
— UCI Para-Cycling (@UCI_paracycling) March 24, 2024
The WC1-2 10km scratch race top-three were Amanda Reid (AUS), Flurina Rigling (SUI) and Christelle Ribault (FRA). The WC2 omnium final results were bronze to Daniela Carolina Munevar Florez (COL), silver Daphne Schrager (GBR), and Rigling the 2024 UCI World Champion.
Victory in the WC1 10km scratch race went to China’s Wangwei Qian, who won the omnium ahead of great Britain’s Katie Toft.
The WC1-2 scratch race is done and dusted 💪
— UCI Para-Cycling (@UCI_paracycling) March 24, 2024
🥇C1 - Qian Wangwei 🇨🇳
🥇C2 - Amanda Reid 🇦🇺#Rio2024
China’s Li Xiaohui won the WC4 scratch race ahead of Emily Petricola (AUS), and Switzerland’s Franziska Matile-Dörig. It meant Petricola won the WC4 omnium overall from Li Xiaohui and Anna Grace Taylor (NZL).
The WC3 scratch race went to Xiaomei Wang of China, with Spain’s Daniela Paula Caballeros second ahead of Aniek van den Aarssen (NED). Wang won the WC3 omnium overall, with Van den Aarssen second and Mel Pemble (CAN) third.
Men’s omnium: three titles for France
The 60-lap MC2 15km scratch race saw Frenchman Alexandre Léauté emerge the winner, with Shota Kawamoto (JPN) second, and Ewoud Vromant (BEL) third ahead of Matthew Robertson (GBR). The MC2 omnium final standings were gold for Léauté, silver for Kawamoto and bronze for Robertson.
🤯 No one can beat Alexandre Leaute 🇫🇷
— UCI Para-Cycling (@UCI_paracycling) March 24, 2024
The French rider secures another win at these UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships, this time on the MC2 scratch race 🔥#Rio2024 pic.twitter.com/lAbn12GWMB
In the MC1 15km scratch race, China’s Weicong Liang won from Spain’s Ricardo Ten Argiles, with Germany’s Pierre Senska beating the second Chinese finisher Zhangyu Li for third. Liang secured the MC1 omnium gold ahead of Li and Ten Argiles.
Liang Weicong 🇨🇳 reigns victorious on the MC1 scratch race 🔥#Rio2024 pic.twitter.com/A3K9DYH7hT
— UCI Para-Cycling (@UCI_paracycling) March 24, 2024
The MC3 15km scratch race saw a top three of Jaco van Gass (GBR), Alexandre Hayward (CAN) and Masaki Fujita (JPN). It meant that Van Gass won the MC3 Omnium general classification from Devon Briggs (NZL) and Finlay Graham (GBR).
France’s Kévin Le Cunff won the MC4 scratch race from his compatriot Gatien Le Rousseau and the USA’s Bryan Larsen. But it was Le Rousseau who claimed the MC4 omnium general classification from Le Cunff and Larsen.
Dorian Foulon of France won the MC5 15km scratch race from Franz-Josef Lässer (AUT), with Alistair Donohoe of Australia third. Foulon secured the MC5 omnium rainbow jersey from Lässer, with Britain’s Blaine Hunt third.
Elimination exhibition
The 2024 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships ended with an exhibition of the elimination race,in which the last-placed rider on alternate laps is eliminated.
The winners were New Zealander Nicole Murray (WC4-5), China’s Xiaomei Wang (WC1-3), Spaniard Ricardo Ten Argiles (MC1-2), Team GB’s Archie Atkinson (MC3-4) and Austrian Franz-Josef Lässer (MC5).
🤯 What a show from Ricardo Ten 🇪🇸
— UCI Para-Cycling (@UCI_paracycling) March 24, 2024
The Spanish rider just took an impressive win on the MC1/2 elimination race 🤩#Rio2024 pic.twitter.com/oH4HROQkMT
Para-cycling sport classes for para-cycling track
C – Cycle: conventional bike with adaptations if necessary
B – Tandem: for visually impaired athletes with sighted pilot
Group C is divided into different sport classes, with the lower the number indicating a higher level of impairment.