About Para-Cycling

The Paralympic competition program includes sprints, individual pursuits, the 1000m time trial, road races and road time trials for both individuals and teams.

Road Para-Cycling made its Paralympic debut at New York/Stoke Mandeville 1984 and has been contested at every Games since. Track Para cycling entered the Paralympic program 12 years later at Atlanta 1996.

The sport was developed in the 1980s and was first open to vision impaired athletes who competed in tandems with a sighted pilot. Over the following years, Para-Cycling started to include those with cerebral palsy, amputations and other physical impairments, who compete on bicycles, tricycles and hand cycles.

There are five sport classes for hand cycling, two for tricycle, and five for bicycle, whilst the three sport classes for the tandem compete in one event. Athletes participate in World Cups, world, and regional Championships throughout the year.

Para-Cycling is part of the Paralympic program governed by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI). U.S. Paralympics manages the U.S. Paralympic Cycling Team and works closely with USA Cycling and community partners to provide recreational and competition opportunities for Para-Cyclists in the United States. 

Team USA Total Cycling Medals by Games
Year - Host City - Total Medals - Gold, Silver, Bronze
2020 - Tokyo, Japan - 8 - 2 gold, 2 silver, 4 bronze
2016 - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - 18 - 4 gold, 9 silver, 5 bronze
2012 - London, Great Britain - 17 - 6 gold, 5 silver, 6 bronze
2008 - Beijing, China - 14 - 5 gold, 5 silver, 4 bronze
2004 - Athens, Greece - 9 - 2 gold, 4 silver, 3 bronze
2000 - Sydney, Australia - 9 - 3 gold, 4 silver, 2 bronze
1996 - Atlanta, United States - 13 - 2 gold, 5 silver, 6 bronze
1992 - Barcelona, Spain - 4 - 1 gold, 3 silver, 0 bronze
1988 - Seoul, South Korea - 3 - 0 gold, 1 silver, 2 bronze
1984 - Stoke Mandeville, Great Britain/New York, United States - 2 - 0 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze