Lynch beats world record holder to claim world title

Colin Lynch continued Ireland's sensational start the 2012 Paracycling Track World Championships in LA by winning Gold in the C2 3km pursuit.

Lynch set a new Irish Record of 3:51.640 in the morning qualifiers to ensure top billing for the Gold medal ride off against world record holder Gui Hua Liang of China. Lynch also had to contend with a classification protest just before the final and once he was given the all clear he powered home to beat Liang by six clear seconds in the final.

The Irish team have now claimed three medals, two gold and one silver in the opening two days of the Track World Championships. Yesterday Catherine Walsh and Francine Meehan won gold in the 3km tandem pursuit while James Brown and Damien Shaw won silver in the 4km tandem pursuit.

Also competing at the Velodrome in Carson today was Enda Smyth who finished fifth in the C3 3km Individual Pursuit setting a new Irish Record of 3:52.622. Cathal Miller also finished in fifth place in the C5 Individual Pursuit just outside a ride off for a bronze medal in a time of 4:50.611.

Katie-George Dunlevy and Pilot Sandra Fitzgerald set a PB time of 1:16.4147 in the tandem 1km Individual Time Trial which left them in 12th place and while Catherine Walsh and Fran Meehan finished in 7th place in a time of 1:13.826. Male tandem pairings of James Brown and Damien Shaw finished in 14th place in a time of 1:07.950 and were followed closely by Andy Fitzgerald and Com Collis in 17th place in a time of 1:08.233.

Irish Medal Blitz on opening day of Paracycling Track World Championships in LA

The Irish team got off to a sensational start at the 2012 Paracycling Track World Championships in LA with two medal finishes - Gold and Silver.


In the 3km Female Tandem Pursuit Qualifiers Catherine Walsh and Pilot Francine Meehan set a new Irish Record of 3:37.392 to finish in first place and guaranteed a ride off for the Gold Medal in the afternoon's finals. In the final Walsh and Meehan faced the British Tandem pairing of Aileen Mc Glynn and Helen Scott. Despite the British duo building up a lead of over a second early on the Irish pair powered home to win by almost 3 seconds to claim Gold and the World title.

Not to be outdone, the male tandem pairing of James Brown and pilot Damien Shaw also qualified for a Gold Medal ride off when their new Irish Record time of 4:26.778 secured them 2nd place in the 4km Pursuit qualifiers. Unfortunately for the Irish duo they faced a formidable Australian pairing of Bryce Lindores and Scott McPhee who powered home and Brown and Shaw had to be content with Silver.

Other members of the Irish Paracycling team competing at the World Championships at the Home Depot Velodrome in Carson LA included tandem newcomers Katie-George Dunlevy and Pilot Sandra Fitzgerald who posted a PB time of 3:48.767 to secure a credible 7th place finish in the qualifiers.

Andrew Fitzgerald and pilot Con Collis also posted a PB of 4:33.334 in the Men's Tandem which left them 6th in the overall standings.