Para-cycling, rainbow feat for Claudia Cretti: gold and world record

The World Para-cycling Track Championships started out decidedly well for the Italian colors: in Rio de Janeiro, the venue of the rainbow event, Claudia Cretti in fact won the gold medal in the kilometer from a standstill (WC5 category), also setting a new world record, with a time of 1’12″028.

The 29-year-old athlete from Orobica of the Fiamme Azzurre dominated the event, lining up top-level opponents: behind her were New Zealand’s Nicole Murray (1’13″619) and Argentina’s Analia Mariela Delgado (1’14″629). An exceptional result, which projects Cretti among the strongest specialists in the world and confirms Italy’s steady growth in the discipline.

“I’m really happy: world champion with record in the kilometer standing, which by the way is an Olympic specialty… Thank you all” commented the’Italian athlete, who in 2024 had already won a bronze in the pursuit, a silver in the scratch and another bronze in the omnium and who in the Rio race gave her best in the final, surprising everyone with the new record.

On the Italian night between Thursday and Friday, another important medal also came for the Italian expedition: the sprint tandem team, consisting of Marianna Agostini and Elena Bissolati on the women’s side and Stefano Meroni and Francesco Ceci on the men’s side, won an’excellent silver medal, beaten by a few hundredths by the Australian pairs, who set a new world record.