British tandems sweep Worlds podiums

Great Britain swept the tandem time trial, taking home both golds in the men´s and women´s events on Saturday (4 March) at the UCI Para cycling Track World Championships in Los Angeles, USA.

After their victory in the women’s 3,000m individual pursuit B on Thursday (2 March), Rio 2016 gold medallist Sophie Thornhill and pilot Corrine Hall added a second title to their haul in the women´s 1,000m time trial B.

“After the first day, we knew that we were in good shape to do well,” said Thornhill.

London 2012 champions Lora Fachie and pilot Hazel MacLeod secured silver, and Paralympic silver medallist Alison Patrick and pilot Helen Scott grabbed bronze for an all-British podium.

Great Britain´s second gold medal of the day was won by James Ball and pilot Matt Rotherham in the men´s equivalent, ahead of compatriots and defending champions Neil Fachie and pilot Craig MacLean. Australia´s Kieran Murphy and pilot Lachlan Glasspool completed the podium.

USA landed gold through Shawn Morelli in the women´s 3,000m individual pursuit C4 to win her second gold medal in Los Angeles.

“I was little tired from the effort yesterday (3 March) and just tried to stay loose and be ready,” she said.

“It is really exciting to win back-to-back titles on our own track in front of our own crowd, especially in front of my family. It is just a great feeling.”

Her teammate Samantha Bosco claimed her first world title in the women´s 3,000m individual pursuit C5. “I do not even know how to put it into words. It is indescribable,” she said.

“I am thankful for it, and it is not just a medal for me, it is a medal for all of the people who believe in me and support me along the way.”

In the men´s equivalent events, Slovakia´s Jozef Metelka won the C4 category and Jonathan Gildea gave Great Britain the third gold of the day in the C5.

“It was a good day of racing today,” said Metelka. “I was not sure how it would go, but I stuck to my race plan and things turned out as we had hoped.”

Gildea said: “It is incredible. I really focused on the pursuit and it paid off in the final against the Brazilian athlete,” said Gildea.

The two last champions of the day were Poland´s Anna Harkowska in the women´s scratch C4-C5, and USA´s Jamie Whitmore in the men´s scratch C3.

Full story is available on UCI´s website.