Katie-George Dunlevy and Linda Kelly claim Ireland's sixth Paralympics medal
"I wanted to win the gold and retain my title so I'm a bit disappointed, but a silver medal is amazing," said Dunlevy.
Katie-George Dunlevy and her pilot Linda Kelly have won Ireland's sixth Paralympic Games medal in Paris.
Dunlavy won her second silver of the Games in today's Women's B road race to go with the gold that she won with Kelly on Wednesday in the B time trial.
Josephine Healion and Eve McCrystal, who was the pilot for Dunlevy's first silver medal of the Games, finished just outside the medals in fourth place in the race.
READ MORE: Heartache for Róisín Ní Ríain as she agonisingly misses out on third Paralympic medal
READ MORE: Ireland strike gold in the Paralympic Games through Katie-George Dunlevy and Linda Kelly
Dunlevy, 42, has now won eight Paralympic medals and said afterwards that it was "just incredible" to leave Paris with three podium finishes.
"To come away with three medals is amazing. With all the setbacks and everything, it means a lot, so we're delighted," she said. "Lots of celebrations with the family tonight, I'm looking forward to seeing them and celebrating with them.
"I wouldn't really be here without my parents' support over the years when I was a child, I'm just so proud we were able to get a medal in front of them."
Dunlevy did admit to some mixed emotions, however, after the Irish pair dictated the race for large periods but couldn't shake off the eventual winners, Sophie Unwin and pilot Jenny Holl, who sat in behind before easily taking the sprint finish by three seconds.
Dunlevy and Kelly had beaten the GB duo for the gold in the time trial, while Unwin and Holl had beaten Dunlevy and McCrystal for first place in the individual pursuit on the track.
"Yeah, I wanted to win the gold and retain my title so I'm a bit disappointed, but a silver medal is amazing," said Dunlevy. "It was a tough race. We were up the road with one of the GB bikes and they refused to do the work, so we were just at the front trying to attack one each hill, trying to get away.
"We just couldn't get away from them and the other GB bike came back to us a few times, so yeah, we just gave our way - they're sprinters, they're better sprinters than us and beat us in the sprint there at the end, but we had nothing left at that stage after giving so much on the hills.
"So we're delighted, it's a silver medal. We're very, very happy."
Kelly, meanwhile, was overjoyed to win her second medal of the week.
"We were just on the front and knew they were behind us, we were pushing but had to ease off as well because we had to conserve our energy for where we were going to attack," she said.
"We did get in front but in the technical zone they were just glued to the back of our wheel constantly, we started pushing a bit hard but they came back and that's road racing, you just have to keep trying and trying and trying.
"At the end they got us at the line. We did our best, silver is amazing and we're happy with that. I'm absolutely over the moon, like I said the other day, I'm delighted."
McCrystal, meanwhile, confirmed that she definitely won't be back to try to add to her six Paralympic medals. "I'm 46 years of age, I don't want to be spending my 50th birthday, thank you, in LA," laughed McCrystal.
"It has just been amazing, I've had so many highs, I have six Paralympic medals now and I never thought 10 years ago that I would be here.
"I'm so happy to have my kids here again today so I'll enjoy it with them and celebrate and I'll let it sink in, what I've done for the last 10 years."
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