Kate Horan smashes para-cycling world record

New Zealand Paralympian Kate Horan smashed the Flying 200m para-cycling world record at the NZ Track National Championships in Cambridge on Friday (30 January).

Horan is a well-known name in the Paralympic sporting world as a former track and field athlete who won 200m T44 silver at the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games.

Her time of 13.551 seconds took two seconds off the previous record held since 2003 by British para-cyclist Zoe Marusiak, an outstanding achievement considering Horan has only been competing in the sport since April 2013.

Horan won her first international para-cycling medal last year at the UCI Para-Cycling Track World Championships; a silver in the women’s C4 500m Time Trial.

Kate Horan said: “I am so thrilled to break the world record today, it has made me think anything is possible.

“My family were in the stands cheering me on and it was such a boost. I also have the most amazing world class coaches around me that believe in me, which makes me believe in myself. It is achievements like this that make all the training worthwhile and motivate me to continue to work hard on the road to Rio.”

Brendon Cameron, Paralympics New Zealand’s Para-Cycling Head Performance Coach, said: “Kate’s world record breaking performance today is a great milestone for Kate who is making a great transition from another sport.

“This bodes well as she pursues her Paralympic dream of not only representing New Zealand at her third Paralympic Games in Rio 2016, but to be also chasing a medal.”