Para cyclist Kate O’Brien wins silver in 500m sprint

Kate O’Brien of Calgary won the silver medal in the women’s C4-5 500m time trial in Para track cycling at the Paralympic Games on Friday. 

It is Canada’s fifth medal of the Games (three silver and two bronze) and a third medal in Para cycling.

Kadeena Cox of Great Britain, the last rider to race, broke O’Brien’s world record set in January 2020 to win the gold in 34.812 seconds. O’Brien, the world champion in this event in early 2020, went just before Cox and clocked in at 35.830. Caroline Groot of the Netherlands was third in 35.599.

After competing in track cycling at the Rio Olympics, O’Brien was injured in 2017 when midway through a motorpacing effort during a track cycling demonstration, her rear tire blew out. She lost control and hit the back of the motorbike and suffered a major head injury.