Jeremy Pereira and Leo Collet compete in the time trial at the 2018 World Intellectual Impairment Sport Cycling World Championships

France celebrate team time trial gold at close of 2018 World Intellectual Impairment Sport Cycling World Championships

/in /by

The French duo of Jeremy Texeira Pereira and Leo Collet stormed to victory at home in Paris on Thursday (19 July) at the 2019 International Federation for Athletes with Intellectual Impairments (World Intellectual Impairment Sport) Cycling World Championships.

After heartbreak on Monday (16 July) for Collet in the men’s individual time trial, he teamed up with Pereira to take the gold in the team event on a balmy morning in the French capital.

“We are very pleased because we have trained very hard and our dreams have been met,” a delighted Collet said.

He commented that the break in competition on Wednesday (18 July) made all the difference to their performance:

“On Monday we were well trained but now we feel a little bit tired. Fortunately we had a rest yesterday and now we can be pleased with our efforts.”

Collet and Texeira Pereira put in a dominant performance to finish in 28:41.30. The win is Pereira’s second consecutive world title in the event, adding to his gold from 2017 with Alexandre Morel. He also finished on the podium in the individual time trial.

The rampant Dutch duo of Davy Mertens and Joannathan Duinkerke (29:01.43), the 2016 world champions, claimed silver.  Poland’s Patryk Jakiela and Jerzy Krzanowski (30:29.25) were third.

World Intellectual Impairment Sport Tennis World Championships finals set

Things began to heat up at the tennis World Championships, which are also taking place in Paris.

The women’s singles final will feature a clash between Belgium’s World No.1 and defending champion Hanne Lavreyson and British 14-year-old Anna McBride.

Lavreyson took on Australian No.3 seed Carla Lenarduzzi in the semi-finals, winning two sets to zero.

McBride overcame world No. 2 and former title holder Kelly Wren in a stunning 4-0, 4-2 display, rounding off an incredible week for the teenager who is making her international debut.

“I’m feeling quite good. Kelly played very well and it was a good match and quite close, lots of deuces,” McBride said.

Of her final place, she continued: “I’m a bit nervous, just because I don’t know who I’m playing [because I’ve never played them before]. Yes, I really am [looking forward to the final]. It’ll be a good experience.”

The mixed doubles final was also set on Thursday.

Great Britain’s Dominic Iannotti, playing with McBride, executed a shock defeat over Australia’s world No.1s Archie Graham and Wren after a tie break (4-2, 2-4, 1-0 (3)).

Iannotti and McBride will play Australia’s Mitchell James and Lenarduzzi on Friday (20 July), after they won both of their sets against Belgium’s Jochen Fens and Lavreyson.

Results from the 2018 World Intellectual Impairment Sport Cycling and Tennis World Championships are available here. High resolution pictures can be downloaded here.

As well as cycling and tennis, athletics, basketball, cycling, hockey, table tennis, swimming and petanque are all being contested until 22 July. The 2018 World Intellectual Impairment Sport European Summer Games are organised by World Intellectual Impairment Sport Europe.