Lara Gillespie
Cycling
BIOGRAPHY
Lara started out with Orwell Wheelers and was a winner of multiple continental junior track medals, including European Junior Points champion in 2018, and a Youth Olympics Time Trial silver (2017). She was also the first Irish woman to win a medal (Pursuit bronze) at World Juniors (2019). In 2023 she won two European U23 track titles (Omnium and Points), and, in her first season in the UCI Track Champions League, won the Elimination race in the final round finishing fourth overall. She was just pipped for bronze in the Omnium at this year’s senior Europeans, and won an Omnium bronze at the Ghent International at the start of July.
Lara was part of Ireland’s Team Pursuit quartet who won silver, and set their latest Irish record (4:15.697), in Hong Kong in March 2023, to qualify for Paris. She has a degree in Health and Performance Science from UCD where she was an Ad Astra scholarship recipient. She is now riding for UAE Team ADQ, where her results for their development squad this summer saw her promoted to their World Tour team in June.a
OTHER CYCLING ATHLETES
CYCLING NEWS
Bronze for Gillespie at Track World Championships
Ending the championships on a high Gillespie finished third in the Women’s Points Race, claiming her first ever senior championship medal. This result adds to her success from earlier in the week when the Co. Wicklow rider recorded three top ten placings at the championships. The Points Race consists of 80 laps and includes a [...]
Top Five Finish for Gillespie at Track World Championships
Co. Wicklow’s Lara Gillespie got Ireland off to a strong start at the 2024 Tissot UCI Track World Championships in Ballerup, Denmark. The five-day championships got underway yesterday and Gillespie was the first of the Irish team to compete, racing in the Elimination Race this evening, Thursday, 17th of October. Gillespie faced strong competition with [...]
UCI Track World Championships | Team Ireland
Irish riders hit the track again this week, as they head to the UCI Track World Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark. Ireland will have three representatives on track in Denmark. Paris 2024 Olympians Lara Gillespie and Mia Griffin will be joined by Lucy Bénézet Minns, having just competed in the UCI World Road Championships in September, [...]
TRACK CYCLIST LARA GILLESPIE FINISHES 10TH IN OMNIUM
Track cyclist Lara Gillespie closed out the Paris 2024 Olympic Games for Team Ireland with a 10th place finish in the final event at the Velodrome; the Women’s Omnium. TRACK CYCLING Lara Gillespie helped Team Ireland leave Paris 2024 on a high with a brilliantly gutsy top 10 finish in the gruelling Omnium event at the [...]
RHASIDAT ADELEKE FOURTH IN 400M OLYMPIC FINAL
Team Ireland’s Rhasidat Adeleke has finished fourth (49.28) in the 400m final at the Olympic Games in Paris; the first time an Irish female athlete has ever contested an Olympic sprint final. Ireland’s first ever heptathlete at an Olympic Games Kate O’Connor finished 14th overall at her debut Olympic Games after a seasons best time [...]
DIFFICULT DAY AT LE GOLF NATIONAL FOR MAGUIRE AND MEADOW
Leona Maguire and Stephanie Meadow were back in action at Le Golf National in round two of the women’s singles today. Meadow carded a round of 74; four better than yesterday, but Maguire will be frustrated after signing for a round of 79 today. GOLF It was another unforgiving day for Stephanie Meadow and Leona [...]