Roundup: Glasgow Gold Is Simply ‘Jaw Dropping’ For Samantha Bosco
by Paul D. Bowker
Every other week we scour the web for the latest going on in the world of U.S. Para-cycling. Here’s what you missed!
Just The Right Words
Samantha Bosco, coming home with five medals, had several action-packed words to describe this month’s UCI Cycling World Championships in Glasgow, Scotland.
How about exhilarating, intense and, yes, jaw dropping?
Bosco, a two-time Paralympic medalist competing in the WC4 class, won a silver and two bronze medals in the track competition, then won a pair of gold medals in the road time trial and road race.
“What to be said about Super Worlds?” Bosco posted on Instagram. “Long. Intense. Starstruck. Jaw dropping. Exhilarating. Relieving. Fulfilling.
“The last two weeks feel like a month and a whirlwind all in one, and an experience that will be retold over and over to anyone willing to hear it five or six times.
“I feel like the luckiest woman to be coming home with five medals in six events for Team USA and the excitement of donning rainbow stripes for another year, all while having some of my biggest fans cheering me on in person and all the rest getting to see it all play out on the live streams.”
Road Race Rainbow
Oksana Masters, a 17-time Paralympic medalist across three sports, found absolute joy in winning her second consecutive world championship in the road race WH5 in Scotland.
Her face tells the story.
“I just wanted to put everything I could for Team USA on that line,” she said.
A Farewell Silver
Two-time Paralympian Chris Murphy won a silver medal in his final world championships race.
Murphy, a track cyclist in the MC5 class, topped off his competitive career with his ninth world medal. He finished second in the time trial. He speaks about his final race here:
Glasgow Scenes
Here are some of the memorable scenes from Glasgow:
Ride Of A Lifetime
For U.S. tandem riders Michael Stephens and Joe Christiansen, their world championships race in Scotland was the ride of a lifetime.
“It’s something that I’m really hoping I’ll just carry that through the rest of my life, knowing that we got to be a part of this” Stephens, who was making his world championships debut, told USParaCycling.org.
Along for the trip to the world championships was Stephens’ wife, Kylee, and 15-month-old son, Weslan.
Teaming Up for Bronze
The world championships ended with a bronze medal for the U.S. in the mixed team relay event.
“Ending the 2023 World Championships on a high note with a bronze medal in the team relay event in downtown Glasgow, Scotland,” Brandon Lyons posted on Instagram.
“After a tough week, it was encouraging to come together with Travis Gaertner and Alicia Brelsford Dana to bring home the final medal of the week for U.S. Paralympics Cycling.”
U.S. Paralympics Cycling athletes won 14 medals, including four gold medals, across the road and track disciplines.
Cruising Scotland
Two-time Paralympic medalist Jamie Whitmore headed for scenic spots in Scotland once the competition was over.
“Scotland was an amazing host for the UCI 2023 World Championships!! I finished in 4th place for the TT and 7th in the road race!” Whitmore posted on Instagram. “The country is beautiful to ride around. So many things to see!! It’s a huge contrast to the dryness of California this time of year!
“It’s time for a reset as this season winds down to get ready for next season! I’m starting off by touring the highlands of Scotland!!”
Hello, Huntsville (Encore)
Huntsville, Alabama, is headed for the world stage again.
Just months after the city hosted the 2023 world cup road final, Huntsville was named the host for the 2026 UCI Para-Cycling Road World Championships. The event is set for Sept. 4-7, 2026, at Cummings Research Park, which also hosted the world cup competition.
“On behalf of U.S. Paralympics Cycling, we are extremely excited that the UCI Para-Cycling Road World Championships will once again be held here in the United States,” said Ian Lawless, director of U.S. Paralympics Cycling.
Go here for the details.
And here’s the cheers from Cummings Research Park.
Paul D. Bowker has been writing about Olympic and Paralympic sports since 1996, when he was an assistant bureau chief in Atlanta. He is a freelance contributor to USParaCycling.org on behalf of Red Line Editorial, Inc.