RIO DE JANIERO (VN) — Para-athletes overcome many different challenges to ride their bikes, let alone compete at a world-class level. Some are missing one or more limbs, some have cerebral palsy or other nervous disorders, and more recently some have injuries suffered during tours of duty in Afghanistan or Iraq. The 2018 Paracycling Track World Championships recently ended at the Olympic Velodrome in Rio de Janeiro, and it showcased hundreds of talented, resilient athletes.
All of them compete to their best abilities — not always to win but to find meaning in the competition. It is an inspirational event to watch.
UCI Paracycling Track World Championships 2018
Spain’s Ricardo Ten Argiles won the C-1 kilometer time trial. Argiles lost both arms and one leg below the knee in an accident at the age of 8. A multiple Paralympic medalist in swimming, he started paracycling in 2017 and promptly won his first gold medal in Rio. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.com
UCI Paracycling Track World Championships 2018
The Australian blind tandem of Keiran Murphy and Lachlan Glasspool competed in the pursuit. With a sighted driver and blind stoker, the tandems can reach a speed of more than 55kph. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.com
UCI Paracycling Track World Championships 2018
Kieran Murphy of Australia was escorted to the tandem bike by a soigneur. The blind stoker has to depend completely on the driver for communication during the pursuit and sprints. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.com
UCI Paracycling Track World Championships 2018
Former track cyclist Rory O’Reilly helped Joe Berenyi onto the track during training. O’Reilly competed in the 1984 Olympic Games in the kilometer, rode on the track and road for years, and now works with the U.S. Paracycling program. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.com
UCI Paracycling Track World Championships 2018
Joe Berenyi won bronze in the C3 class individual pursuit in Rio. He lost his arm in an industrial accident in 1994 and started competitive cycling in 2009. Only three years later, Berenyi won three medals at the London Paralympics, including gold and a world record in the individual pursuit. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.com
UCI Paracycling Track World Championships 2018
Joe Berenyi powered his way to win gold in the C3 kilometer time trial. Berenyi is never fastest on the first lap, being unable to pull on the bars, but once rolling, he set the fastest time in each 250-meter split. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.com
UCI Paracycling Track World Championships 2018
The experienced and rookie riders and roommates for Team USA. Joe Berenyi is 49 years old, a veteran of two Paralympics and several world championships. Jacob Waters raced in his first international competition at the ripe old age of 17. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.com
UCI Paracycling Track World Championships 2018
Samantha Bosco of the United States led the break in the women’s 10km scratch race. The scratch race is the only mass start race in Paracycling. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.com
UCI Paracycling Track World Championships 2018
At the Rio World Championships, Guihua Liang of China was the defending world champion and world record-holder in the C2 individual pursuit. He has severe cerebral palsy, and can barely walk. But put him on a bike, and he is able to control his muscle spasms and really fly. Many of the paracyclists struggle to walk, but find freedom and exhilaration on their bikes. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.com
UCI Paracycling Track World Championships 2018
Jody Cundy, gold medalist at the Rio Paralympic Games and winner of the men’s kilometer, with his custom carbon fiber prosthetic. It has a beautiful detailed map of the western hemisphere, showing the path from Great Britain to Rio. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.com
UCI Paracycling Track World Championships 2018
Head mechanic Steve Donovan got to work on the arrival day. A team of three mechanics put all the athletes’ track and road bikes together on the first day in Rio. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.com
UCI Paracycling Track World Championships 2018
It was a bike-building frenzy, as team mechanics Chad Contreras and Steve Donovan put together the 28 bikes that just arrived with the cyclists, in the basement of the Rio Velodrome. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.com
UCI Paracycling Track World Championships
The tandem team from Ghana exists on a meager budget, with little experience and limited equipment. Their first heat in tandem qualifying had to be stopped when one rider’s foot came out of a shoe which was too large for him. But after a quick adaptation, they went back out to compete. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.com
UCI Paracycling Track World Championships 2018
Nick Gibb, a first-time competitor at the world championship level, headed for the finish in the individual pursuit. Coach Sarah Hammer cheered him on to the line. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.com
UCI Paracycling Track World Championships 2018
New Paracycling coach Sarah Hammer visited Rio for the first time since her medal-winning rides at the 2016 Olympic Games. Sarah pointed out her medal on the Champions Wall at Rio Olympic Park. The wall lists every event in the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic games with the medal winners in each event. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.com
UCI Paracycling Track World Championships 2018
In her first paracycling world championships as coach, Sarah Hammer shouted splits to Joe Berenyi during qualifying. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.com
UCI Paracycling Track World Championships 2018
Darren Hicks, silver medalist in the 15km scratch race. Pedaling with only one leg, Hicks was able to lap the field and win his first silver medal. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.com
UCI Paracycling Track World Championships 2018
Jianping Ruan of China, gold medalist in the women’s 500 meters. One of the most accomplished and continually happy athletes on the Chinese team. Many of the Chinese athletes don’t have complicated prosthesis. Ruan’s adaptation is simple loops of the handle bars, which she forces her forearms into for leverage. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.com
UCI Paracycling Track World Championships 2018
Todd Key’s bike awaits him on the infield. A carbon fiber cup, wrapped with stars and stripes tape, allows him to secure his right leg in the device and ride. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.com
UCI Paracycling Track World Championships 2018
Todd Key, at 57 years young, is the most experienced rider on Team USA. After losing his right leg to cancer at 17, he discovered cycling at age 28, and rides on both the road and track for Team USA. He competed in the C1 category in the kilometer and pursuit events. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.com
UCI Paracycling Track World Championships 2018
With her signature American Eagle helmet, Shawn Morelli qualified first in the women’s 3km pursuit. In spite of severe injuries due to an IED explosion in Afganistan, Morelli has won gold medals in two Paralympics and six gold medals at the world championships. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.com
UCI Paracycling Track World Championships 2018
With coach Sarah Hammer cheering her on, Morelli guts it out to win another world championship in the pursuit, winning by just over a second. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.com
UCI Paracycling Track World Championships 2018
Team USA’s Shawn Morelli, stood with her gold medal and rainbow jersey, singing a very meaningful national anthem. Morelli was an Army Engineer in Afganistan when she was severely injured by an IED. She suffered brain and spinal cord injuries, as well as the loss of her left eye. After getting into cycling through the Warrior Games, she holds the world record in the women’s individual pursuit, and won her second world championship in the event. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.com
UCI Paracycling Track World Championships 2018
The Australian and Belgian women’s blind tandems battled it out in the sprint semi-finals, reaching speeds of 35 mph. The blind athlete on the back can only react to the feel of the bike, and limited communication from their driver. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.com
UCI Paracycling Track World Championships 2018
The surprise of the world championships, 17-year-old Jacob Waters, in his first international competition took home the bronze medal in the kilometer time trial. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.com
UCI Paracycling Track World Championships 2018
A carbon fiber prosthesis, ending in a stainless steel plate and molded cleat, allowed Jacob Waters to pedal through the world championships in Rio. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.com
UCI Paracycling Track World Championships 2018
Jacob Waters finished fourth in the 4km pursuit, less than 1/1000th of a second from third. At 17, he showed promise for the future and the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.com
UCI Paracycling Track World Championships 2018
Paracyclist Jamie Whitmore got focused on racing during the training session before competition. Whitmore was a successful triathlete, winning six national titles in XTERRA competitions, before being diagnosed with a tumor around her sciatic nerve in 2008. The resulting surgery and treatment left her with weakness in her left leg. Just short of the 10 year anniversary of her cancer surgery, she won three bronze medals in Rio, to go with her Paralympic gold in the road race and 15 world championship medals on the road and track. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.com
UCI Paracycling Track World Championships 2018
Never quit. Ricardo Argiles was involved in a big crash in the men’s C1-3 scratch race. Landing on his one good leg and shoulder, he was helped back onto his bike, and eventually finished fifth. After the race, he slowly rolled to a bench near the podium, got off his bike, and quietly suffered in silence. Para-athletes are an inspiration every day. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.com
