Dundalk’s Eve McCrystal says goodbye in style

Ireland celebrated an impressive double podium finish in the women’s B road race at the 2024 UCI Road and Paracycling World Championships in Zurich today.

Katie-George Dunlevy, piloted by Linda Kelly, took home the gold medal while Josephine Healion took home the bronze medal alongside Dundalk pilot Eve McCrystal.

This event also marked the emotional conclusion to McCrystal’s illustrious career, as she retired from elite piloting and capped it all off with a well-deserved bronze medal.

Both Irish teams dominated the demanding 84.7km course. Healion and McCrystal took command early, leading for much of the race and gaining almost a minute’s lead over their closest rivals.

On the final stretch, the two Irish tandems worked together with British pair Sophie Unwin and Jenny Holl, who won gold at the last Paralympic Games.

Drawing on their experiences in Paris, Dunlevy and Kelly managed to break away from the British bike and cross the finish line 1 minute and 23 seconds ahead, securing victory.

After the race, Dunlevy was thrilled with the result. She said: “Having two Irish bikes on the podium, us and then Eve and Josie, was textbook.

“What we had hoped for, what we had dreamed of, we had hoped to get that in Paris, but we didn’t. We came away with silver. I was actually disappointed that I didn’t defend my title, but that I made it here at the World Championships. I’m so proud of us.

“It was a fantastic race, I really enjoyed the course, there was a bit of everything. It’s just really exciting, it’s great to have these courses for tandems and I just hope they get even more challenging in the future, with hills and descents and everything technical, because you know we’re well suited to that.

“It’s just great to have a combined championship, it was fantastic and hopefully there will be more championships like this. We have a whole team behind us, so I want to thank the team, my family, my parents, my partner and all my sisters and everyone else.

“We have a great support team that believes in us, so we believe in ourselves too, and that just helps a lot.”

The championships capped a long and demanding season for the pair and Dunlevy welcomed the upcoming break. She said: “A well-deserved break, it was a long, hard year for us, but we are happy with the year.”

“Take a break now and prepare for next year. We had crashes on the bike and illnesses, so mentally it was a tough year.

“Mentally it’s difficult to prepare for these races, it also takes its toll on the body, so we’ll take a nice break and then get back to it.”

Bronze was a dream result for Healion and McCrystal. It was Healion’s first medal at championship level, following strong performances at the Paralympics and in the individual time trial earlier in the week.

McCrystal, a key figure in Irish paracycling, fittingly ended her decades-long career with a World Championships medal.

Through their partnership with Dunlevy, they have achieved several Paralympic and World Championship successes, most recently silver in the women’s B 3000m individual pursuit in Paris.

As McCrystal bids farewell to the elite stage, there is no doubt that Ireland’s future in paracycling remains bright as athletes such as Dunlevy, Kelly and Healion continue to showcase their talents on the world stage.