Katie-George Dunlevy and her pilot Eve McCrystal are setting their sights on the UCI Para-Cycling Road World Championships after a commanding performance at the European Para-Cycling Championships in Ostend, Belgium, where the Irish tandem claimed gold in the time trial and silver in the road race.
The Dunlevy-McCrystal partnership, one of the most decorated in Irish Paralympic sport, delivered a masterclass in Ostend, with Dunlevy producing a personal best power output in the time trial to edge out the Dutch and German pairings. The road race silver came after a tactical battle in which the pair were pipped in a sprint finish, but the overall haul of two medals underlined their status as genuine world title contenders.
Speaking after the European championships, Dunlevy said the team's preparation had been meticulous. "Eve and I have been working on our sprint finish and our time trial pacing all spring. Ostend showed that the work is paying off. We go to the Worlds knowing we can win," she said.
McCrystal, who has guided Dunlevy to Paralympic gold at Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024, praised the support of Cycling Ireland and Sport Ireland in enabling the pair to compete at the highest level. "The funding and the coaching structures have been transformed in recent years. We are in the best shape of our careers," McCrystal said.
The UCI Para-Cycling Road World Championships are scheduled for August in Zürich, Switzerland, where Dunlevy and McCrystal will face stiff competition from the Netherlands, Germany, and Great Britain. The Irish pair have previously won world titles in 2015, 2016, and 2019, and a fourth title would cement their legacy as the greatest Irish para-cycling partnership of all time.
Cycling Ireland high-performance director Mick Sheridan said the European results were a strong indicator of form ahead of the Worlds. "Katie-George and Eve are peaking at exactly the right time. Their time trial performance in Ostend was exceptional and gives us great confidence for Zürich," Sheridan said.
The pair's success comes as Irish para-sport continues to grow in profile following the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, where Ireland finished with a record medal haul. Dunlevy and McCrystal contributed two gold medals in Paris, and their continued dominance at European level suggests the Irish para-cycling programme is in rude health.
Sport Ireland chief executive Anna Marie Kennedy said the Ostend results were a source of great pride. "Katie-George and Eve continue to inspire a generation of Irish cyclists and para-athletes. Their dedication and professionalism set the standard for Irish sport," Kennedy said.
The pair will return to training at the National Cycling Centre in Abbotstown next week before a final altitude camp in Livigno, Italy, in late July ahead of the World Championships. Irish cycling fans will be hoping the Zürich roads deliver another chapter in one of the great stories of Irish sport.
