Katie-George Dunlevy is Queen of the Road with eight Rainbow jerseys

There is something special about an athlete who keeps improving and consolidating their position at the top of world rankings. That is the achievement of Katie-George Dunlevy in her speciality, paracycling.

Katie-George is this week winding down after a fantastic week at the World Championships held in Scotland, dominating the tandem event in the time trial and road race, and also winning a bronze medal in the 3k pursuit on the track. She is undoubtedly the No 1 in his discipline at this stage.

A visually impaired athlete, Katie-George, whose proud father, John, is a native of Mountcharles, Dunlevy was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) aged 11 and is registered blind. She previously competed in athletics, rowing and swimming before taking up cycling in 2011. She and her family have been  regular visitors to Donegal.

Now a multi Olympic gold medallist, winning silver and gold in Rio in 2016 and double gold in Tokyo in 2021 as well as a silver on the track, Katie-George shows no sign of slowing down, dominating her discipline last week in Scotland.

Up until last year her regular tandem partner was Eve McChrystal, with whom she has won her Paralympic and World medals.

This year she was winning her seventh and eighth Rainbow Jerseys (World) with a new partner, Linda Kelly, and she feels there is even more to come.

The World Championships in Glasgow started off well as she won bronze on the track with Eve McChrystal, even though they had little preparation for what is a very different discipline to that of road racing.

“I hadn’t been on the track (velodrome) with Eve since Tokyo in 2021 until a couple of weeks ago.

“We made the most of the track time that we had when we came to Glasgow. Everyone had wrote us off because we were the fourth fastest qualifiers, but for us to come away with that bronze medal was huge,” said Katie-George, who said the atmosphere in the velodrome in Glasgow was unreal.

“It was something I had never experienced before, in the pits and warm-up area. Every chair was taken in the seating area. That was something we don’t usually get at world championships. The noise and buzz was unbelievable.

“It was a home venue for GB and they are our biggest rivals.”

Then it was on to the main events for Katie-George, on the road, first of all the time trial on Thursday of last week and finally the road race on Saturday, both run on the roads around Dumfries in south Scotland.

And the winning form that she brought to the championships with new tandem partner, Linda Kelly, in the World Cup events this year became even more dominant

“I just can’t believe it. Linda is still new to it all. She has so much improvements to be made individually and as a tandem partnership, which is really exciting. She is such a fantastic athlete,” said Katie-George.

And there is more to come judging by the enthusiasm in Katie-George’s voice. “I love training but you do have to make sacrifices. It is a new challenge with someone new. It has made me kinda think, I still have a lot to give to the sport.”

Katie-George and Linda after the Road Race victory

TIME TRIAL

The Irish pair were very happy when they saw the circuit for the time trial because the roads were very similar to what they had trained on in Ireland. “We were used to training and racing on these roads and the course really suited us.

“We had won the World Cups leading up to this, but you can never be complacent. We knew it was a home games for the GB girls and Jennie (Holl) is from Scotland. She was from just down the road. We knew they would be up for it because they had come from the track with three gold medals.

“We just had to remember that we had won medals in the World Cup and that the course did suit us. We had to do as we had done before and we managed to beat them by over a minute, which is massive.

“It was Linda’s first World gold medal and my 7th. It was my fourth time trial gold (three with Eve McChrystal). You’re always relieved at the finish. You are racing on the limit and sometimes you don’t know how you are doing (in a time trial).

“Linda had contact with the team car and we pushed hard on the hills. We gave our all and finished well and we found out a few minutes later that we had won. We were delighted and my mum and dad were there.”

But, as is the case in sport, the road race on Saturday did not go to script. During the second lap, Katie-George says she knew something was not right. “We were struggling to stay in the group and do our turn at the front.”

A slow puncture almost cost them their gold medal. On one corner they almost fell. After getting back alongside the other Irish bike, which was piloted by her former partner, Eve McChrystal, Eve confirmed their worst fears.

“We had to stop and change a wheel. By that stage Poland had gone up the road and we were a minute down on the main group. But the determination of Dunlevy and Kelly came to the fore.

“We just time trialled and went as hard as we could to see if we could get back with the group, which we did after a lap.

“Then coming out of the start/finish section there was an uphill stretch so we attacked and got away. GB were staying with us for a while but the gap got bigger and we caught Poland at the end of the 4th lap. We went past them and got a gap to the finish.

“It was a massive ride and I can’t imagine that we were able to do it, using so much energy to get back. Then we just kept going and won gold and had two minutes to spare at the finish,” said Katie-George, who said at one stage she didn’t think they would be in with a chance.

“It was an amazing race.”

After the World Championships in Scotland, the pair now know that they are the No 1 tandem pairing and will have to carry the favourites’ tag come next year’s Paralympics in Paris.

The season is now over for Katie-George while Linda has some national championships to take part in.

But the focus for both is already being set on Paris next year. 

“It is the Olympic year and there will be World Cup events and then Paris. “Linda is so determined. We have to see what more can we do in the time trial and road race,” said Katie-George, who will begin the year with the Track World Championships in March with Eve McChrystal.

“There are World Cup events on the road in April and May and they all have qualifying points for Paris. All the points gathered helps qualify Irish bikes.

“We also have the World Championships after the Olympics in September but I don’t know if we will  do that. It all depends how Paris goes and how mentally and physically tired we are.

“But I’m really excited for next year and giving it our all. We are proud of what we have achieved but we will not become complacent either.”

As for a trip to Donegal, there are no plans this year but hopefully the next visit will be after Parish along with Olympic gold for the third games  in-a-row.