TEAM IRELAND para cyclists Katie-George Dunlevy and her pilot Eve McCrystal claim they “just had to fight” to get through their final race together which saw them secure a silver medal in Paris.
The athletes won silver in the Women’s B 3000m Individual Pursuit on September 1, with a time of 3:21.315, on what was the final day of the Paralympics track cycling action at the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines Velodrome.
Silver medalists Katie-George Dunlevy and pilot Eve McCrystal of Team Ireland compete in the Para Cycling - Track Women's B 3000m Individual PursuitThey came in just behind Britain’s Sophie Unwin and Jenny Holly, who took gold.
It marks the last time the pair will compete together after an impressive 10-year sporting career which has seen them win medals and races at completions across the globe.
Katie-George Dunlevy, left, and Eve McCrystal with their silver medals after the women's B 3000m individual pursuit finalMcCrystal, who is retiring as a para pilot after these Games, reflected on the range of emotions they experienced on the day.
“When you're so close to gold, you're slightly disappointed you didn't get it but we're absolutely ecstatic with silver,” she said.
The pair celebrate their win in Paris“It goes beyond what we knew we could do it but we're up against three British bikes,” she explained.
“It lets a little bit of doubt creep in.
“Underneath it all we knew we could do it but you have to deliver it on the day and the staff that we have around us, I just want you to mention them.
“It's such a small team but we're treated so well. I just want to say thank you to every single one of them.
“Without them, we wouldn't be here today with a medal around our necks.”
Dunlevy, centre right, and McCrystal, centre left, celebrate with friends and family after winning their silver medalRegarding their preparation for the event, she admits “it’s very hard”.
“We're ten years together,” McCrystal explained.
“It took us a few years to get to the top. It's really hard to get to the top and it's fricking harder to stay there.
“You have so much pressure.
Katie-George Dunlevy pictured with her mother Alana after her medal win“I don't think we ever felt external pressure from people but it was external pressure that both of us felt to stay there. That's just so hard to do as an athlete.
"When the two of you are together you constantly don't want to let each other down so you're fighting every single day - that's the fight for the last three years coming out there in a medal.
“We've always just trusted each other”
Dunlevy celebrates with her father John after winning her medalEchoing those sentiments, Crawley-born Dunlevy, whose father hails from Donegal, said: “When it came to this [race] we just had to fight, and we are both just fighters.
“We have trained damn hard to get here.
“We have put so much time into this to get here.
“We just have to really trust what we can do and the experience that we have, and just trust in ourselves and go for it.
“I always go, whatever will be, will be, as long as you just give your all.”
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