Dundalk's Eve McCrystal wins silver in her final race with Katie-George Dunlevy Dunlevy

Dundalk tandem cyclist Eve McCrystal and her teammate Katie-George Dunlevy concluded their remarkable 11-year partnership on Sunday with a silver medal at the Paralympic Games, marking a fitting end to their illustrious career together.

The duo, who have been a formidable team in the world of para-cycling, competed in the women’s B 3,000m individual pursuit at the National Velodrome in Paris, showcasing their resilience and skill in what would be their final race as a pair.

In a gripping final, Dunlevy and McCrystal went head-to-head with Britain's Sophie Unwin and her pilot Jenny Holl.

The Irish duo had already secured their place in the final by recording the second-fastest time in the qualifying heats, clocking in at 3:20.481.

Despite not being able to replicate this time in the final, they led the race after the first 2,000 meters, pushing the British pair to their limits.

However, Unwin and Holl managed to edge ahead in the closing stages, winning the gold by a margin of 2.166 seconds.

Despite the narrow loss, Dunlevy and McCrystal were filled with pride, knowing they had given everything in their final race together.

Reflecting on their performance, Dunlevy said: "We went for it and just tried to execute the same race as we did earlier and give it our all.

"We were just short coming in at the end, but that's just down to track time. We are delighted with that. A silver medal is like getting a gold."

The 42-year-old reflected on their journey, saying "We left it out there on those two rides, we did the race of our lives to get here. I’m so proud of us both for doing that together.

"We put a lot of hard work into this. We trained so, so hard. After the less-than-ideal way coming in [to the Games], it makes the win so much sweeter."

McCrystal echoed these sentiments: "I think we were both brave enough to go for it, and I think that's what matters. As Katie said, it's just that last two laps of track experience, track time, track legs.

"But we are a small nation with no track, and we are, after putting it up to Great Britain, who live on a track every day of the week, so we have to be so proud of that."

The 46-year-old found it hard to believe that this was the conclusion of their partnership: "That's our last ride together, so to finish that off with a silver medal in the Paralympic Games, I actually can't believe it.
"I think I left my soul on the first ride, and then to back it up, I'm so proud. I knew we could do it, but you have to do it on the day, and we did it."

This silver medal was not only a testament to their determination but also added to their incredible tally, making it their 21st medal across the Paralympic Games and World Championships.

It was a bittersweet moment as it signified the end of an era for the pair, who have been an inspiration in para-cycling.