There was no rest for recent two-time world bronze medalist Bryan Larsen (Windsor, California), four-time Paralympic medalist Joe Berenyi (Aurora, Illinois) and Paralympic silver medalist Aaron Keith (Woodinville, Washington) who each took to the Rio Olympic/Paralympic Velodrome for two races on the final day of competition at the 2024 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships. Larsen ended his incredible week run as the most decorated American of the championships, adding a silver as part of the UCI’s round of exhibition matchups.
A stacked field in the men’s C3-C4 class elimination race, Larsen outlasted his opponents and a series of crashes by nearby riders to cross the finish line in second place. The test event was the first time contested in Para-cycling and is a race that eliminates the slowest rider every other lap until the last two riders who fight for the fastest ending.
“We’re inching forward towards that top step,” said Larsen. “That was really fun out there and it’s always cool to be a part of something brand new. To do it in elimination with a diverse crowd and to end on a high note is awesome.”
“One [crash] was uncomfortably close, I have tire marks on the side of my calf and through my shoe covers. It’s scary when you hear it behind and you don’t know how bad it is, it sounds like the entire track is crumbling beneath you. It makes me always motivated to move to the front that’s for sure. I’m glad I stayed upright and hope everyone that did go down bounces back.”
Larsen began the day alongside teammates Berenyi and Shawn Morelli (Meadville, Pennsylvania) in the mixed team sprint recording a 13th-place finish. Berenyi returned later that evening for a battle of endurance in the men’s C3 scratch ending with a top eight ranking.
For Keith, the day’s competition began in the men’s C1 scratch race where he snagged the fifth-best finish before joining the elimination exhibition for the men’s C1-C2 class making his way through the first few laps of competition before getting eliminated.
The morning session began with an exhilarating speed test between the world’s best tandem racers. Both 2024 bronze medal winning duos Michael Stephens (Colorado Springs, Colorado) with pilot Joe Christiansen (Lyons, Colorado) and Hannah Chadwick (El Cerrito, California) alongside Skyler Espinoza (Freeport, Maine) took to the track in the men’s and women’s B sprint respectively racing their way through the qualifying rounds.
For Chadwick and Espinoza, the Rio journey ended with a fifth-place finish while Stephens and Christiansen fought their way to a top four in the bronze medal round.
Team USA leaves the 2024 world championships with a total of 5 medals – one silver and four bronzes – and one exhibition medal. Riders will continue their quest to the Paralympic Games Paris 2024 with a series of world cups for road cycling athletes in the coming weeks culminating with the Paralympic team naming event this July.
Full results are available at paraworlds2024.veloresults.com
Credit: US Olympic and Paralympic Committee
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