The Rio de Janeiro Velodrome is hosting 287 athletes from 39 countries between March 20 and 24.

The time has come! Next Wednesday (20th), the Para-Cycling Track World Championships kick off at the Rio de Janeiro Velodrome. The competition brings together the top stars from the global rankings of the sport and is the athletes’ last chance to score points and secure their passports to the Paris Paralympic Games.

Among the 287 athletes from 39 countries, there are 23 Brazilians (15 men and 8 women) dreaming of hearing the national anthem at the top of the podium. Two of them have already achieved this feat: Lauro Chaman, in 2018, also in Rio, and Soelito Gohr, in 2014. Both compete in the C5 class. Meet some of the competitors in each category:

Tandem
Among men, the top five in the 2023 world rankings will be in Rio. They are: Japanese Kazuhei Kimura, British Neil Fachie, German Thomas Ulbricht, Malaysian Mohd Khairul Hazwan Wahab, and Dutch Tristan Bangma. Fachie is the current world champion in sprint and time trial in the category, while Bangma holds the title in individual pursuit. This edition will feature Brazilian representatives Bruno Bonfim dos Anjos and Luciano da Rosa.

Among women, eight of the top ten will compete in the Rio World Championships. British Sophie Unwin, who leads the list, will defend all three titles in Rio: time trial, speed, and individual pursuit. Malaysians Nur Suraiya Muhammad Zamri (2nd) and Nur Azlia Syafinaz Mohd Zais (3rd), Australian Jessica Gallagher (4th), British Elizabeth Jordan (5th), American Hannah Chadwick (6th), British Lora Fachie (7th), Irish Katie-George Dunlevy (9th) will also be in contention. Brazilian representatives are Bianca Canovas Garcia (23rd), who won bronze in the individual pursuit at the Parapan American Games, and Márcia Ribeiro Gonçalves Fanhani.

Class C1
In the men’s category, nine of the top ten in the 2023 world rankings will vie for medals in Rio. Among them is Brazilian Carlos Alberto Gomes Soares, who ranks ninth. Last year, he won two silver medals at the Parapan American Games. There’s a Chinese one-two at the top of the list, with Weicong Liang and Zhangyu Li, the current world champion in individual pursuit. Fourth-placed Spanish Ricardo Ten won gold in Scratch and Omnium events and silver in individual pursuit. Meanwhile, fifth-placed Briton Sam Ruddock is the current world champion in time trial.

In the women’s category, the competition is between a Chinese and two British cyclists. Wangwei Qian, who topped the final list, is the current world champion in time trial and silver in Scratch, Omnium, and individual pursuit. In these three events, British cyclist Frances Brown is the current champion, as well as the silver medalist in the time trial. Her compatriot Katie Toft finished fourth in all four events and was also fourth in the final 2023 ranking.

Class C2
Among men, in 2023, France swept all individual golds in the category at the World Championships. Current number 2 in the rankings, 21-year-old Frenchman Alexandre Leaute will defend titles in three of the four events: time trial, individual pursuit, and Omnium. The remaining gold went to compatriot Florian Chapeau, 23, fourth in the final 2023 ranking. Victor Luise de Oliveira Herling, 42, ranks 25th on the list, and, like Edson Fernando Jorge, represents Brazil in the competition.

Among women, Brazilian Sabrina Custódia da Silva finished 2023 in fifth place in the international rankings. Parapan American champion in time trial and individual pursuit in 2023, she came close to medaling at the last World Championships, finishing fourth in the Omnium and time trial. In 2022, Sabrina celebrated Brazil’s unprecedented silver at the World Championships in France. Victoria Maria de Camargo e Barbosa, who won two bronzes and secured two Brazilian one-twos at the Parapan, ranks 16th on the list. Mikaeli de Araújo Lima completes the Brazilian team. They will face off against Australian Amanda Reid, the 2023 ranking champion and current time trial and Omnium champion, Swiss Flurina Rigling (3rd), current individual pursuit champion, and German Maike Hausberger (4th), current Scratch champion.

Class C3
In the men’s 2023 ranking of this category, it’s a British one-two. At the top of the list, 37-year-old Jaco Van Gass is the reigning world champion in Omnium, Scratch, and time trial. In the individual pursuit, he took silver, but the British duo remained on the podium. His compatriot Finley Graham, 24, took gold in the individual pursuit. Both will be in Rio defending their C3 world titles. Eduardo Carvalho Hipólito de Araújo and Nícolas Nogueira Rodrigues represent Brazil in the competition.

In the women’s category, Brazilian Amanda Antunes de Paiva finished last season in sixth place in the world rankings. She came close to bronze in the individual pursuit at the Parapan American Games and in the Omnium at the 2023 World Championships, finishing both in 4th place. Her main rivals in Rio will be Chinese Xiaomei Wang (ranking leader and current Scratch world champion), Canadian Mel Pemble (second in the ranking, current Omnium world champion, and current Parapan American champion in time trial and individual pursuit), and Dutch Aniek van der Aarssen (silver at the 2023 World Championships in time trial, individual pursuit, and Omnium).

Class C4
Frenchman Kevin Le Crunff is the current world ranking champion and defends the individual pursuit and Omnium golds in class 4 in Rio. Briton Archie Atkinson tries to maintain the Scratch gold, while compatriot Jody Cundy, ninth in the list, defends the time trial title. Winner of one gold and one silver at the 2023 Parapan American Games, André Luiz Grizante ranks 20th in the world ranking. He joins Gabriel Ribeiro da Silva and Elielson Rodrigues to represent Brazil in the category.

In the women’s category, Chinese Xiaohui Li defends the Scratch title and tops the world ranking. Following her are American Samantha Bosco (2nd), the current Omnium runner-up and bronze medalist in the individual pursuit and Scratch, and New Zealander Anna Grace Taylor (3rd), the Omnium world champion.

Class C5
One of the big names in the men’s category is the Brazilian Lauro Chaman. Second in the world ranking, the athlete has fond memories of Rio: he won two medals at Rio 2016 and was the Scratch world champion in 2018. In 2023, he won bronze in the Scratch and Omnium at the World Championships. At the Parapan American Games, he was the individual pursuit champion and won bronze in the time trial. Additionally, he became a three-time road World Cup champion. Another Brazilian aiming for another world title is Soelito Gohr; he took gold in the Scratch at the 2014 Track World Championships. Ricardo Alafim, Johnatan Mineiro Santos, and Pablo Henrick Voigt Santos complete the Brazilian team in the category.

Among women, New Zealander Nicole Murray, the 2023 world ranking runner-up, is the current Omnium champion, individual pursuit silver medalist, and time trial bronze medalist. Italian Claudia Cretti (3rd) won silver in Omnium and Scratch and bronze in the individual pursuit in 2023. Meanwhile, Frenchwoman Marie Patouillet (4th) won silver in the time trial and bronze in the Omnium. The three are vying for more medals in Rio, where Brazilian representatives are Telma Aparecida Alves Bueno and Fabiana Ventura de Assis.

The 2024 Para-Cycling Track World Championships are organized by the Brazilian Cycling Confederation (CBC) and TBA Sports Management under the supervision of the International Cycling Union (UCI), with sponsorship from the Brazilian Paralympic Committee (CPB), Shimano, and the Federal Government through the Ministry of Sports. Additionally, it has the support of Santini, the Municipal Government of Rio de Janeiro, and the Rio de Janeiro State Cycling Federation (FECIERJ).