Drumkeen cyclist Mitchell McLaughlin has been selected by Paralympics Ireland to represent Team Ireland as a ‘pilot’ in the upcoming Paralympic Games in Paris.
Athletes with a visual impairment compete on tandems with a sighted ‘pilot’.
McLaughlin joined the Ireland Para-cycling National Team in 2023 and is currently pilot to experienced rider Damien Vereker.
The pair compete in both track and road events and picked up a 9th place finish in the time trial at the 2023 UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships.
Katie-George Dunlevy – who has strong ties to Donegal – has also been selected.
The Paralympic Games will commence on Wednesday 28th of August and run until Sunday 8th of September.
The track events will be in the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines Velodrome and the road events will take place in Clicky-Sous-Bois in Seine-Saint-Denis.
Track racing gets underway on the first day of the Games, running from 29th of August until 1st of September. The road events will start on Wednesday 4th of September and conclude on Saturday 7th.
The athletes selected in alphabetic order are:
– Katie-George Dunlevy
– Josephine Healion
– Martin Gordon
– Ronan Grimes
– Richael Timothy
– Damien Vereker
The pilots that will be competing are:
– Linda Kelly
– Eve McCrystal
– Mitchell McLaughlin
– Eoin Mullen
Speaking about the announcement, Cycling Ireland National Para-cycling Coach Jamie Blanchfield said:
“We are excited to name such a strong and experienced team for the upcoming Paralympic Games. It is always an honour to represent your country, especially on what is the biggest stage in the world. Their dedication and hard work exemplify the spirit of Irish para-cycling and we are very much looking forward to seeing them perform at their highest level in Paris”.
Adding to this, Cycling Ireland High Performance Director Iain Dyer said:
“I’m very proud to see such a strong para-cycling team selected for Paris 2024, and I am looking forward to seeing them compete on the biggest stage of all.”
Paralympics Ireland CEO, Stephen McNamara said:
“The addition of these athletes has further added to the excitement that is building in the run up to the Games. With every athlete that is named a clearer picture of our Team Ireland forms. This is a huge moment for any athletes and those around them that provide endless support to help them follow their dreams of becoming a first time Paralympian or getting to a successive Games. Congratulations to all.”
Preparations for the Games are going well. Riders are set to head to Anadia, Portugal in the coming weeks for their final training camp, before they make their way to Paris.
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