'I'll be back in LA', vows Mitchell McLaughlin after first Paralympics

Mitchell McLaughlin has vowed to make a Paralympic return in Los Angeles in four years' time.

The Drumkeen cyclist made his debut at the Paralympics this year in Paris and says he wants to get back to the big stage.

McLaughlin acted as the pilot for Damien Vereker and the pair competed in four events in Paris.

On Friday, in the men's road race, held over 127.8 kilometres, McLaughlin piloted Vereker to eighth spot, the pair finishing in 3:04.18.
“It was hell from the start, it was pretty full on,” McLaughlin said.

The French were the first bike to attack during the descent. I had a plan to attack pretty early on, but I just didn't get into the position.

“The climb there, just 3k from the finish, was the hardest on the course by far.”

On Wednesday, McLaughlin and Vereker were seventh in the men's B individual time trial, fniishing in 36:31.09.

The previous week, the pair set a new national record of 4:14.817 on the track when competing in the men's B 4000m individual pursuit and they were 10^th in the 1000m time trial, clocking 1:06.74.

The 26-year-old McLaughlin rides for the Velo Revolution team and is in his second year with Cycling Ireland as a tandem pilot.

He said: “It was a pretty hard race, and I am cooked but the appetite is there - I’ll be back in LA.”

Vereker also competed at the previous Paralympics in Tokyo, but the Kilkenny native is also looking to the future.

He said: “I have no plans to stop at the moment, I’ll be back. Cyclists, we're a weird bunch - the worse it is, the more we want.”