Jody Cundy of Great Britain displayed his motivation for all to see on his custom carbon fibre prosthesis. A detailed map with the route to London from Rio was on display during his two gold medal rides.
Photo gallery: A look back at the cycling events of the 2016 Paralympic Games
American photographer Casey B. Gibson was on hand at the 2016 Paralympic Games, shooting cycling events for the United States Olympic Committee. Here, he presents his favorite images.
Two weeks after the Olympics in Rio ended, the 2016 Paralympics took place on the same courses and velodrome. While the event missed most of the world’s attention, it provided an opportunity for thousands of athletes to achieve their dreams of competing at the Olympics. Many overcame tremendous challenges, from beating cancer to coping with heredity diseases to recovering from wounds in wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Sometimes the story and image was not of whether the athlete won, but just that they were able to compete at all. There were many incredible stories, and the fans who came out in the thousands were treated to true athletic achievement and inspiration.
And Rio was a successful Paralympics for the United States — arguably its best Paralympic Games performance ever, finishing the road cycling program in Rio with 13 medals, one more than they earned at the London 2012 Paralympic Games. The team also collected five medals in track cycling, matching its total from the London Games. The 18 total medals (four gold, nine silver, five bronze), is the most ever won in Paralympic cycling by a U.S. team.
Leading the charge for the Americans was first-time Paralympian Jamie Whitmore, of Mount Aukum, California). Whitmore won gold for the U.S. in the women’s C1-3 road race, a tactical race held in the rain, ending in an all-out sprint to the finish. Whitmore edged out China’s Sini Zeng and Denise Schindler of Germany for the gold medal.
As the front group made the final turn and headed for the finish line there were six riders still in the lead pack, any of whom could have claimed gold. Knowing that helped push Whitmore even more, as she was determined not to leave Rio without a road cycling medal.
“All I kept thinking about was how badly I wanted gold,” said Whitmore. “I put every ounce of myself into it, all the way down to my toes.”
The win gave Whitmore a second medal of the Games; she won silver in the 3000m individual pursuit on the track. For Whitmore, a world Xterra triathlon champion before a battle with cancer damaged her left leg, winning two medals in Rio was a dream come true.??“This has been a lifelong dream since I was six years old, wanting to be an Olympian,” she said. “I thought my dream had ended and then there is this great thing called the Paralympics, and I got a second chance.”
Two-time Paralympic cyclist Joe Berenyi, of Oswego, Illinois, took silver in the C3 3000m individual pursuit, the fourth Paralympic medal of his career. Berenyi, who lost his left arm in a construction accident in 1994, maintained a lead of less than one second over Australia’s David Nicholas through the 2000-meter mark. Nicholas, who is 23 years Berenyi’s junior, proved to be too strong, eventually taking the lead at the 2500-meter mark and maintaining it through to the finish. Berenyi, who won gold in the same event in London, finished with a time of 3:34.042, just 1.014 behind Nicholas, who recorded a winning time of 3:33.028.
“I changed gears in this race, and opened up a little slower to hold on, but on the last couple laps I knew he was getting up on me by the way my coach was directing me,” stated Berenyi. “That’s just the way it happens sometimes. To win a medal in my second Games is just fantastic. It’s never a bad thing to win a silver, I am just very happy to because a lot of hard work went into preparing for this.”
American Jill Walsh, of Syracuse, New York, also took home a pair of medals, both silver, finishing second in the T1-2 women’s road race after doing the same in the T1-2 time trial. Will Groulx, a U.S. Navy veteran who is paralyzed below the waist, won a gold and two silvers. Samantha Bosco, of Springhill, Florida, left Rio with two bronze medals, in the 3000m individual pursuit and time trial, something the first-time Paralympian was extremely satisfied with.
“Coming away with two medals is just amazing,”Bosco said. “It’s a dream come true and adds fuel to the fire for next time.”
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- Daniel Abraham Gebru, an immigrant from Eritrea to the Netherlands, celebrates his win at the confusing finish of the Men’s C4-5 road race. A crash in the final 10 meters took out the two leaders from the Ukraine and Australia, and Gebru rode past them to take gold.
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- Joe Berenyi of the United States circles the beautiful Rio Olympic Velodrome in the individual pursuit. In spite of early warnings about limited ticket sales, the venues were full every day, setting Paralympic attendence records.
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- In the early 90’s, Joe Berenyi was an amateur road racer. After losing his left arm in a construction accident in 1994, he rediscovered cycling through Paracycling, and was the Paracycling athlete of the year in 2015. Berenyi won a silver medal in the men’s 3000 meter individual pursuit.
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- British cycling fans were just as supportive for Para athletes, with hundreds of flag waiving cheering fans celebrating Kadeena Cox’s win in the women’s 500 meter time trial.
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- Former pro cyclist and Smartstop team director Mike Creed became the coach of the USA Paralympic team in 2015. He brought his inspirational style and intensity to the program, helping to produce a record medal haul for the USA team.
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- Jody Cundy of Great Britain displayed his motivation for all to see on his custom carbon fibre prosthesis. A detailed map with the route to London from Rio was on display during his two gold medal rides.
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- Blind tandems consist of a sighted pilot and a blind athlete. After retiring from competitive cycling, former professional track cyclist and world champion Teun Mulder of the Netherlands piloted his tandem to gold with blind athlete Tristan Bangma.
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- Japan’s Masaki Fujita was a favorite in the men’s individual pursuit. A double amputee, he has won medals in both the individual pursuit and kilo in London.
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- Will Groulx of the United States won a gold and two silvers in Rio. Groulx is a Navy veteran who is paralyzed below the waist. He previously played wheelchair rugby at the London games before turning to hand cycling.
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- Anna Harkowska was an up-and-coming bike racer in Poland when she was hit by a car and suffered 26 fractures in her legs. After many years of rehabilitation, she has returned to cycling and realized her dream of winning an Olympic medal, taking silver in the women’s road race.
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- The Italian hand cycling relay team shows off their muscles after they took gold. Led by Alex Zanardi, with multiple gold medalists Luca Mazzone and Vittorio Podesta, they won by over two minutes.
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- Allison Jones is one of the most decorated American paralympians, winning multiple medals in both the summer and winter Paralympics. Despite being born without a right femur, Jones started cycling and skiing at age 5. She has now won gold in the slalom in the winter Olympics and the time trial in the summer Olympics in London.
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- A former Marine who served three tours in Iraq, Scott Martin was injured by an IED and received the Purple Heart. Due to a brain injury, he was originally unable to walk. He recovered and took up cycling in 2011. Scott set the U.S. record in the men’s 4km pursuit, and finished fourth in Rio.
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- Oksana Masters battled riders from Great Britain and Australia in the women’s hand cycling road race. In her first Paralympics in cycling, she finished fourth in the time trial and road race. Oksana was born to a Russian family who lived in the vicinity of Chernobyl during the nuclear accident. Given up for adoption, an American family adopted her, and she has become a two sport Paralympian, competing in skiing and cycling.
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- Juan Jose Mendez of Spain crosses the finish line after completing the 71 km course. An incredible effort with one arm and leg on the same side, balance and strength are required in equal measure. Mendez is known worldwide and is an inspiration to many. He doesn’t often win, but still lines up to compete, and has medaled at the world championships.
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- USA’s Shawn Morelli and Megan Fisher embrace and sing the national anthem together on the podium for the women’s 3km pursuit. Both athletes overcame serious injuries, eventually becoming Paracyclists and medalists in Rio.
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- Shawn Morelli on her way to a gold medal and new Paralympic record in the women’s 3 km individual pursuit. An Army veteran, Morelli was wounded by an IED in Afganistan, and began competing in paracycling in 2010. She also won gold in the women’s C-4 time trial event.
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- Oscar Sanchez powers down the home straight during the handcycling relay, winning a silver medal for the United States with Will Lechenauer and Will Groulx. Sanchez took up paracycling after he suffered a spinal cord injury.
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- Dame Sarah Storey shows off yet another gold medal, this time for the women’s pursuit. Storey won gold in three events on the road and track, making her Great Britain’s most decorated Paralympian, with 14 gold medals over seven Paralympics.
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- Ernst van Dyk wins a closely contested sprint over a disappointed Alex Zanardi in the men’s hand cycling road race. Born without legs, van Dyk has gone on to win gold medals in two Paralympics.
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- Jamie Whitmore riding to a silver medal in the women’s individual pursuit. Whitmore also won gold in the road race. She was a world-class competitor in Xterra off-road triathlons, with 37 wins and one world championship, before a battle with cancer almost cost her life in 2008 and damaged her left leg. After years of physical therapy and training, she has returned to the highest levels of the sport, and has achieved her dream of being a Paralympic medalist.
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- Alex Zanardi anchors the Italian relay team on the 15th anniversary of the accident that almost killed him. He was a world class Formula One driver before a horrible accident in 2001 cost him both legs. His competitive spirit brought him to Paracycling, where he has won multiple gold medals, and took home two golds and a silver from Rio.
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- Competing in the C-1 category for athletes with coordination problems, Li Zhangyu overcomes his muscle spasms from cerebal palsy to set Paralympic and world records in the pursuit and kilometer time trials. He is often unable to walk smoothly, but on a bike he is both fast and determined. Zhangyu won gold medals in both events in his category, again setting Paralympic and world records on the Rio track.
