IRELAND’S LARA GILLESPIE stormed to gold in the Elimination race at the UCI Track World Championships in Chile on Thursday night.

Gillespie, the reigning European champion in the event, beat Great Britain’s Katie Archibald in a pulsating sprint finish to seal World Championship gold in Santiago.

Wicklow woman Gillespie reigned supreme among a 24-strong field in one of track cycling’s most abrasive contests, with the last-placed rider every two laps eliminated from the race.

Only Gillespie, 24, and Archibald, 31, remained for a dramatic Ireland-versus-Great Britain finish, with Gillespie deciding to ride wide of her opponent and rounding Archibald from the upside on the final bend.

🇮🇪 Lara Gillespie: World Champion 🌈

The Irish rider pips Britain's Katie Archibald to gold in the elimination race... and she is absolutely delighted 🥇 pic.twitter.com/zwhtVQNhR2

— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) October 23, 2025

Gillespie, still travelling at speed beyond the finish line, grabbed a tricolour from a group of elated Irish fans in the velodrome, her disbelief apparent as she celebrated her first ever rainbow jersey.

She is the first Irish rider to win a senior track cycling world title since Martyn Irvine in 2013 — and only the third ever, with Harry Reynolds the first to achieve the feat all the way back in 1896.

Archibald took silver for Team GB, with Belgium’s Helene Hesters earning bronze having been eliminated after the penultimate round.

I R E L A N D 🇮🇪

Lara Gillespie claims the 2025 UCI Women’s Elimination World Champion title in a thrilling sprint 🌈

📸 SWpix#Santiago2025 pic.twitter.com/7M8JDZlgPE

— UCI Track Cycling (@UCI_Track) October 23, 2025

Two early crashes saw the field reduced from 24 to 18 before the race began in earnest, with Gillespie remaining under the radar until the majority of riders had been eliminated.

Gillespie timed her challenge perfectly, however, powering to a landmark gold for Irish track cycling.

On the final lap, Archibald, a two-time Olympic gold medallist and six-time world champion in separate disciplines, appeared to have the edge on her Irish opponent, but Gillespie soared past the Scot at the death to win the race with over a length to spare.

Written by Gavan Casey and originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won’t find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women’s sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here.