Katie Foulon and Archie Atkinson

At the Paris 2024 Paralympics, British cyclist Archie Atkinson suffered a heartbreaking fall just two laps from securing gold in the men's C4 4,000m individual pursuit final, where he had been leading reigning champion Jozef Metelka of Slovakia. Atkinson, who had broken the world record in the heats, was awarded a silver medal despite not finishing the race after slipping off his bike and hitting his head. South African-born Jaco van Gass also faced disappointment, finishing fourth in the men's C1-3 1000m time trial, despite having set a world record earlier in the competition. Metelka capitalized on Atkinson's fall to retain his title, while the British team celebrated other successes in swimming with multiple finalists. Atkinson expressed his disappointment and suggested that the classification system for Para-cycling needs adjustment, as it impacts medal opportunities for top riders. The emotional atmosphere in the velodrome was palpable as fans reacted to Atkinson's crash and subsequent silver medal award.