Ireland completed the UCI Para Cycling Road World Championships in Huntsville, Alabama, with four medals after a final-day double silver added further weight to another strong international performance.
Sinead Greenan and pilot Alice Sharpe claimed silver in Monday’s Women’s B road race, completing the 82.8km course in 2:03:30, the same time as Great Britain’s Sophie Unwin and Jenny Holl, who took the world title in a tight finish.
It was a second medal in three days for Greenan and Sharpe, who had also taken silver in Saturday’s individual time trial, their first World Championship race together.
Their emergence was one of the most encouraging elements of the Championships for Ireland, particularly given that the pair had met only three days before racing together for the first time.
“It is always hard not to be a little disappointed when you get so close to winning, but that is because we are so ambitious,” said Greenan.
“We will work on that sprint and hopefully be on the right side of it next time. I am so proud of Alice and how she races. I could not ask for a better teammate.”
Sharpe said the combination had quickly developed a shared competitive mindset.
“We cannot be disappointed with a silver medal at the World Championships in our first season of racing, and we are excited to see where this pairing can go.”
Ireland’s established tandem pairing of Katie-George Dunlevy and Linda Kelly finished seventh in the road race, just seven seconds behind the winners.
Their week had already been defined by gold in the Women’s B individual time trial, where they recorded 36:55.48 to secure a fourth consecutive world title.
Heather Jameson added Ireland’s other medal on the final day with silver in the Women’s C2 road race on her World Championship debut.
Jameson finished the 55.2km race in 1:41:54, three seconds behind Switzerland’s Flurina Rigling, while leading home a six-rider group credited with the same finishing time.
Elsewhere, Richael Timothy placed sixth in the Women’s C3 road race, improving on her ninth-place finish in the time trial, while Damien Vereker and pilot Mitchell McLaughlin finished ninth in the Men’s B road race.
Ciarán O’Toole and pilot Con Scully were 16th on their World Championship debut.
Ireland finished the Championships with one gold and three silver medals.
Sport for Business Perspective
Dunlevy and Kelly continue to deliver at world-title level, while Greenan and Sharpe have immediately shown medal-winning potential and Jameson has reached a World Championship podium at her first attempt.
That is a very rewarding championship from a high-performance perspective.
International success is rarely sustained by a single athlete or partnership alone. It comes from building systems capable of producing depth, succession and competitive resilience over more than one Paralympic cycle.
Irish para cycling has repeatedly demonstrated that targeted investment can deliver world and Paralympic medals.
As the build-up towards Los Angeles 2028 gathers pace, the challenge will be to ensure that the coaching, performance, equipment and competition structures behind these athletes continue to receive the support required to convert emerging potential into sustained international success.
Paralympics Ireland are full members of Sport for Business. Allianz are partners of our Olympic and Paralympic Sports Coverage.
If you would like to be part of the Sport for Business community and see your organisation in our content, on our stages, and in the conversation happening every day around the commercial world of Irish Sport, email us today and let’s see what is possible.
Image Credit: Paralympics Ireland
ABOUT SPORT FOR BUSINESS
Sport for Business is Ireland’s leading platform focused on the commercial, strategic and societal impact of sport. It connects decision-makers across governing bodies, clubs, brands, agencies, and public institutions through high-quality content, events, and insights.
Sport for Business explores how sport drives economic value, participation, inclusion and national identity, and how your story can be part of ours.
Through analysis, storytelling and convening the sector, it helps leaders understand trends, share best practices, and make better-informed decisions. It positions sport not just as entertainment but as a vital contributor to Ireland’s social and economic fabric.
Find out more about becoming a member today.
Or sign up for our Daily Sport for Business Snapshot email bulletins to get a flavour of the material we cover.
Sign up for our News Bulletins here.
