Katie WalkerSamantha BoscoBryan LarsenChris MurphyJoe Berenyi

Paralympic medalists, world champions among 10 athletes selected for Team USA’s track cycling world championships roster

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by Kristen Gowdy

Katie Walker competes at the 2022 UCI Para-Cycling Track World Championships. (Photo by Casey Gibson/USOPC)

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO – Following competition at the 2023 U.S. Paralympics Cycling Track National Championships from July 5-9, U.S. Paralympics Cycling today announced the 10 athletes and two pilots set to represent Team USA at the upcoming 2023 UCI Para-Cycling Track World Championships.

World championships competition will run August 3-13 in Glasgow, Scotland, and for the first time in UCI history, will include both Para and able-bodied disciplines competing concurrently. Team USA nominated its Para-cycling road world championships team last month.

“Now that we have both our track and road teams named, I’m even more looking forward to seeing how Team USA ranks against the rest of the world,” Ian Lawless, Director of U.S. Paralympics Cycling, said. “On this track team, we have a really solid core of experienced athletes, and most have competed on the world’s biggest stage before, so we’re really excited to be able to use that experience to our advantage in Scotland.”

Two-time Paralympic medalist Samantha Bosco (Claremont, California) is one of four athletes named to the team who qualified on both the road and the track. At the 2022 track world championships, the 15-time worlds medalist took home three silver medals, including one in Omnium. She has also been dominant on the road, winning every race in which she’s entered this season and dating back to last season’s road world championships, where she won double gold.

Another Omnium silver medalist at last year’s track worlds joins Bosco in Aaron Keith (Woodinville, Washington), who will also race in both road and track in Glasgow. A 10-time world championships medalist, Keith had the best performance of his track worlds career last year, racking up three silver medals in Montigny-Le-Brettoneux, France. Glasgow will mark Keith’s 13th career world championships across road and track.

Three-time Paralympic champion Shawn Morelli (Meadville, Pennsylvania) and 2022 track world championships medalist John Terrell (Converse, Texas) are the final two athletes who will represent Team USA on both road and track in Glasgow. Over the course of her 11 world championship appearances, Morelli has amassed 16 medals, 12 of which are gold. Terrell, meanwhile, is set to compete in his second world championships for both track and road. He won two medals in last season’s track world championships, including bronze in the MC4 Omnium.

Returning for his ninth career world championships – eight of which have been on the track – is two-time Paralympian Chris Murphy (Rancho Cucamonga, California). Murphy’s eight world championship medals include two titles, both of which he won on the track in 2017.

Paralympic champion Joe Berenyi (Aurora, Illinois) will compete as Team USA’s only MC3 athlete on the track. The four-time Paralympic medalist has a long history of success on the track that includes nine world titles and 16 total medals. He missed the 2022 world championships, but returns for his first major international competition since the Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020.

Rounding out the men’s team are MC5 athlete Bryan Larsen (Windsor, California) and Michael Stephens (Colorado Springs, Colorado). Larsen made his worlds debut last year, where his best finish was fifth in the MC5 scratch race. Stephens, who will be racing with pilot Joe Christiansen (Lyons, Colorado), is set for his first career world championships.

Earning the other two slots on the women’s team are Katie Walker (Wilmington, Ohio) and the tandem duo of Hannah Chadwick (El Cerrito, California) and pilot Skyler Espinoza (Freeport, Maine). Both Walker and Chadwick competed at the 2022 world championships, where Walker’s top finish was fifth in her time trial and Chadwick recorded two top-10 finishes, including fifth in the sprint WB.

Para track cycling competition in Glasgow runs August 3-8 followed by road from August 9-13. For live updates and results, follow U.S. Paralympics Cycling on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

For media requests and photo inquiries, please contact Kristen Gowdy at Kristen.Gowdy@usopc.org.

2023 U.S. Paralympics Cycling Track World Championships Roster

Men

Joe Berenyi

Aaron Keith

Bryan Larsen

Chris Murphy

Michael Stephens (with pilot Joe Christiansen)

John Terrell

Women

Samantha Bosco

Hannah Chadwick (with pilot Skyler Samuelson)

Shawn Morelli

Katie Walker

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