Cycle stars Walsh and Meehan enjoy silver lining in London

Three years ago Catherine Walsh made history when she became Ireland’s first paracycling medal winner at a major event with silver at the World Track Championship alongside sighted pilot Fran Meehan.

Yesterday, the pair wrote another historic chapter in their sport when they became the first Irish cyclists to medal at a Paralympic or Olympic Games, this time with another silver at the individual pursuit B final in London.

It was an achievement that was greeted with elation by a cycling team that had seen hopes of a first medal dashed cruelly on Friday when Colin Lynch lost out on a bronze medal by just 0.12 of a second in the C2 individual pursuit.

“It is fantastic,” said Walsh who also won bronze in the pentathlon in Sydney 12 years ago. “I genuinely thought looking at the schedule that it would be Colin’s and I am sorry that the lads have had to wait. Itwas a stressful few days for Brian (Nugent) the coach and Denis Toomey our manager. Gerry Beggs the mechanic too.

“They are the ones who havedriven this programme forward and they are always fighting our corner for funding and with Cycling Ireland and the Sports Council.

“They are dogged and they push us on and I am just glad we are able to deliver for those guys who have worked immensely hard for us and made us believe in ourselves as well.”

Walsh and Meehan approached London having claimed the worldtitle in this event in Los Angelesearlier in the year but they had to scramble for their place in the gold medal race-off when they found themselves in fourth spot with two laps to go in the qualifiers and a greater ask awaited in the afternoon.

Kiwi pair Philippa Gray and Laura Thompson tanked in LA but their ability is unquestioned, and they clicked into gear yesterday morning, with a world record time of 3:31.530 in their opening ride.