Brim, Masters Triumph for Team USA on First Day of 2022 Road World Championships

BAIE-COMEAU, CANADA - It was a golden day for Team USA on the opener of the 2022 UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships as Kate Brim (Lowell, Michigan) and seven-time Paralympic champion Oksana Masters (Louisville, Kentucky) led the team each grabbing their first-ever world championship titles. Brim comes off an impressive performance at the recent world cup in Quebec City where she took two titles in her international debut. For 17-time Paralympic medalist and 22-time world championship medalist Masters, a world championship win in Para-cycling was the only thing missing from her illustrious career. The duo will be the ones to beat in Saturday’s upcoming road race. 

Four U.S. men took to the world’s stage for the time trial competition with two-time Paralympian Travis Gaertner (Burien, Washington) and Paralympic medalist Freddie De Los Santos (Hopewell Junction, N.Y.) narrowly missing the podium less than 30 seconds off their competitors in the men’s H4 and men’s H5 time trials respectively. Dennis Connors (Portland, Oregon) clocked in with the world’s fourth-best time in the men’s T2 while Paralympian Ryan Pinney (Phoenix, Arizona) took a 17th place in the men’s H3. 

Road cycling continues on Friday, August 12 where the remaining ten U.S. athletes will make their Baie-Comeau debut as the C1-5 men and women will contest for a chance to become the world’s best. Highlights include newly-crowned overall world cup winner Sam Bosco (Claremont, California), 2019 world champion Clara Brown (Falmouth, Maine), Paralympian Aaron Keith (Woodinville, Washington) and eight-time Paralympian Allison Jones (Colorado Springs, Colorado) who recently returned from retirement. 

QUOTES 

Kate Brim

It feels really good to be a world champion. [My expectations] were to just be able to take in as much of it as I can and have a good time out there on the course. I want to learn as much as I can. 

Oksana Masters

It feels just as amazing as it looks. I’m sleeping in this [jersey] tonight, I can’t believe it. This is the one thing I was chasing, a rainbow jersey. This is the same for Olympic and Paralympic in cycling, it means the world to me. I never imagined I would be a world champion, I’m speechless. 

Travis Gaertner 

It was a perfectly executed race for me today. It was very close to the podium and I couldn’t have found those seconds anywhere else so I’m very happy with my performance. It’s probably the best executed time trial for me in a few years. 

Freddie De Los Santos 

It was a great course, tough in the second lap because it was a lot of climbing but I feel great. I was here to finish my goal and I did the best of my abilities so I’m very happy. To be here and represent Team USA, it’s an honor and a blessing so I’m very happy to be here. 

RESULTS

Check out the full results of the 2022 UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships. 

SOCIAL MEDIA

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