U.S. Para-cyclists Conclude Track World Championships With Four Omnium Medals
by Todd Kortemeier
(L-R) Justin Widhalm, Aaron Keith and Chris Murphy compete during the omnium at the 2022 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships on Oct. 24, 2022 in Montigny-le-Brettoneux, France.
With four riders receiving omnium medals Sunday, the U.S. Para-cycling team concluded the 2022 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships with 12 medals. American riders won seven silver medals and five bronze.
Competing at the velodrome that will be used at the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024 in Montigny-le-Brettoneux, France, U.S. cyclists won four omnium medals in four different classifications. Two-time Paralympic medalist Samantha Bosco won silver in the WC4 class, 2020 Paralympic medalist Aaron Keith won silver in MC1, 2020 Paralympian Clara Brown won bronze in the WC3 and John Terrell took bronze in MC4. Omnium results were compiled across four events that took place throughout the weekend: individual pursuit, scratch, time trial and 200-meter flying start.
For Bosco and Keith, it was their third silver medal of the world championships. The medal total was a personal best for Keith, who has won 10 world medals combined in track and road.
“Picking up enough points to take omnium silver is great,” Keith said. “I’m pleased with how I raced. … Riding as well as I did, I can’t expect too much more from myself.”
Bosco, who won a combined five world championship medals this year in track and road, upped her career world medal count to 15. She completed a comeback from missing out on the Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 due to a training accident, winning the 2022 overall road world cup, two road world championship titles and three world medals in track.
“Last summer was a truly difficult time for me, there were a lot of ups and downs,” Bosco said. “For me, it was just about living in the moment this season and enjoying it because I love cycling and I want to give it my best. I feel like I’m doing that.”
Terrell made his track world championships debut after making his road world championships debut in September.
Todd Kortemeier
Todd Kortemeier is a sportswriter, editor and children’s book author from Minneapolis. He is a contributor to TeamUSA.org on behalf of Red Line Editorial, Inc.