China’s para-cyclists impress at UCI Track World Champs

China’s athletes made their presence known, Friday (27 March), on day two of the 2015UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships taking place in Apeldoorn, the Netherlands. China took home four medals – three golds and one silver – over six 3km individual time trial events.

In men’s C1 racing, China’s Zhang Yu Li earned his second gold medal in as many days; after his win in Thursday’s kilo race, he bested Canada’s Ross Wilson in Friday’s ITT final. Argentina’s Rodrigo Fernand Lopez rounded out the podium for third place, beating out Germany’s Erich Winkler.

Guihua Liang, racing in the C2 category and Zhang Yu Li’s teammate, also earned his second medal since arriving in Apeldoorn. Liang won a silver on Thursday in the kilo race, and on Friday out-raced Columbia’s Alvaro Galvis Becerra in the ITT. Russia’s Arslan Gilmutdinov finished ahead of Ireland’s Colin Lynch in the bronze medal final for the event.

In the C3 category, American Joseph Berenyi won the race for the gold medal against Japan’s Masaki Fujita who settled for silver. As was the case in the C2 class, the bronze medal C3 final saw a show down between Russian and Irish athletes. This time, the medal went to an Ireland’s Eoghan Clifford in an emotional victory over Russia’s Sergey Ustinov.

“The team supported me in a brilliant and professional way today. After this morning’s disappointment, the team really boosted my spirits, enabling me to be in the best possible shape to compete for and win this bronze medal,” commented Clifford after his last race of the day.

Alyda Norbruis wows again!

Local favourite – the Netherlands’ own Alyda Norbruis – once more electrified the crowd on Friday. Gold medallist in Thursday’s time trial, Norbruis added another rainbow jersey to her collection, defeating China’s Sini Zeng in the C2 gold medal final. American Allison Jones bettered China’s Zhenling Song in the bronze medal round.

In the women’s C3 final, Germany’s Denise Schindler upset with her win against 2014 world record holder and world champion, American Jamie Whitmore-Cardenas. Thursday’s roles were reversed, with Whitmore-Cardenas defeating Schindler in the 500m race.

Australia’s Simone Kennedy got the better of Britain’s Megan Giglia in the race for the remaining third step on the podium; Kennedy got to take home the bronze on Friday.

Lastly, China’s Jieli Li was the only athlete registered for the C1 3km women’s pursuit race.

Other individual pursuit races will take place during Saturday at the Apeldoorn velodrome, where athletes from the C4, C5, and tandem categories will be riding the wooden slats.

The UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships will conclude Sunday 29 March 2015.

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