Irish cyclists secure gold and bronze medals on magical morning at Tokyo Paralympics

Katie-George Dunlevy and Eve McCrystal earned their second medals of the Tokyo Games

Ireland's Katie George Dunlevy and Eve McCrystal celebrate winning a gold medal with members of the Irish Paralympic team

Katie-George Dunlevy and Eve McCrystal have won gold at the Paralympic Games in Tokyo this morning

The tandem duo won the Women's B Time Trial in 47:32.07 at the Fuji International Speedway.

British pair Laura Fachie and Corrine Hall were in second.

It is a second trip to the podium for Dunlevy and McCrystal who won silver in the B 3000m individual pursuit.

Dunlevy said the result 'means the world to me'. We've been working for five years towards this. We wanted to come here and retain the title.

"That was the ride of our lives to get that – we were just moving as one. 

"Just for kids or adults at home with a visual impairment that our success today shows that you can do anything you want to do. There is nothing you can’t do. This might inspire them.

It was a remarkable morning for Irish cycling as earlier Gary O’Reilly secured a bronze in the men’s H5 time trial.

The Portlaoise hand-cyclist set a time of 39:36.46 to take third place in a hard fought event around the famous motor racing circuit in the rolling foothills below Mount Fuji. Dutch rider Mitch Valize took the win with 38:12.94 while French rider 39:15.16 took silver. 

Gary said: “I’m completely shocked – I didn’t expect to get the medal. I’m just absolutely delighted.

“I am so happy to have done it for everyone at home – I did for them. All my family, my wife Hazel, are up watching it, I’m sure they’re as happy as I am.” 

 “I think I was 20 seconds down on podium on first lap but I had Neill (Delahaye – coach) in my ear telling me to stick to the plan. I realised we just needed to stay with the plan, I came back up on time then with the second lap - started putting time into them. Thankfully it worked,” he said.

Gary O’Reilly with his bronze medal

The sacrifices of the athletes are a constant theme here at the Paralympic Games in Japan and Gary explained how that has affected him.

“As my friends all know, I don’t get to spend as much time with them – like when they’re going out for a pint. You don’t get to go out so you spend a lot of time in the room at home alone on a turbo trainer for four or five hours on a turbo trainer. It is all worth it on a day like today,” he said.

He will line out in the road race tomorrow morning and he is anxious to recover as he pursues his second medal of the Games. “Just want to go in and try and recover as best I can. We’re up early in the morning, so I’ll try and stick with it and do my best and see what happens at the end of the race.