Stephen Bate
Two-time Paralympic champion Stephen Bate brought the curtain down on his illustrious 12-year career in style, winning gold in the men’s tandem individual pursuit at the Para-cycling Track World Championships in Rio de Janeiro.
Bate, racing alongside pilot Christopher Latham, delivered a dominant performance to catch Italian pair Lorenzo Bernard and Paolo Toto, sealing the title in emphatic fashion.
The victory marked a fitting finale for Bate, who retires as a five-time world champion across road and track disciplines and a five-time Paralympic medalist.
The triumph carried extra emotional weight, coming nine years after Bate and then-pilot Adam Duggleby claimed double gold in Rio at the 2016 Paralympic Games, winning both the individual pursuit and road time trial events.
Returning to the same city with Latham—his partner in a silver-medal performance at his final Paralympics in Paris last summer—Bate closed his career where his greatest successes began.
It was another strong day for Great Britain’s para-cycling team, who collected three gold medals on Saturday.
Rising star Archie Atkinson, 21, reclaimed the men’s C4 10km scratch race title, while Elizabeth Jordan and pilot Dannielle Khan successfully defended their women’s B 1km time trial crown.
Elsewhere, Finlay Graham added to his medal haul with silver in the men’s C3 elimination race, his third medal in as many days, and Kadeena Cox earned silver in the women’s C4 sprint.
The latest results brought Great Britain’s overall medal tally at the championships to an impressive seven gold, five silver, and five bronze, underscoring the team’s continued dominance on the world stage.