Australia wins six gold at track world championships

10 Australian cyclists on the winner's podium after winning gold medals at the 2010 track world championships

Australian cyclists Anna Meares, Kaarle McCulloch, , Josephine Tomic, Sarah Kent, Ashlee Ankudinoff (first row, left to right) and Travis Meyer, Rohan Dennis, Leigh Howard, Michael Hepburn and Jack Bobridge (second row, left to right) were among the gold medal winners at the 2010 track world championships

09 Apr 2010

World cycling has seen a resurgence in Australia’s success, winning six gold medals in an incredible performance at the 2010 UCI Track World Championships held 24–28 March in Copenhagen, Denmark.

But there is a clear message coming out of the Australian track cycling camp – there is still plenty of hard work to do on the journey towards the London 2012 Olympic Games.

‘I think what was the most pleasing aspect of our performance was the distinct improvement we had made since last year’s world championships in Poland, and in particular in the Olympic disciplines,’ Cycling Australia’s National Performance Director Shayne Bannan said.

‘That is not to say we are completely content with where we are at, and we are under no illusions that the British [track cycling team] will be very strong at their home Olympic Games. They are still missing a couple of riders, including Bradley Wiggins, so we know they will be stronger in two year’s time.’

The five-day event held in Copenhagen, Denmark saw Australia soar to the top of the medal tally collecting six gold, two silver and two bronze medals, finishing well ahead of Great Britain (three gold, five silver and one bronze).

The results were outstanding across the board, but perhaps the most significant moment came in the prestigious men’s team pursuit, when the team of Cameron Meyer, Jack Bobridge, Rohan Dennis and Michael Hepburn triumphed over Great Britain to seize the gold medal.

The men’s team pursuit so often tells of the talent and depth within a nation’s cycling program. It represents the return to a golden era, for Australian track cycling that won four out of five world championships in the men’s team pursuit event between 2002 and 2006, as well as gold at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games.

Following the disappointment of a fourth place finish in Beijing, where Great Britain won the gold medal, Australia has now regrouped and won the gold in Copenhagen in a new Australian record time of 3:55.654.

Despite the British team still looking to welcome back some athletes ahead of the 2012 London Games, the beaten finalists in Copenhagen included Ed Clancy, part of the gold medallists from Beijing, along with bronze medallist from Beijing in the men’s individual pursuit, Steven Baker.

Bannan says that the performance of the young quartet surprised everyone.

‘The team is such a young group and the potential is huge. We didn’t expect them to ride the time they did and to be the quickest Australian team ever at the average age of 20,’ Bannan said.

‘We will have to make sure that we manage these riders well as they are still developing. In two years time two or three of them may be on Pro Tour teams so managing our relations with them will also be important.’

The AIS Track Cycling program based in Adelaide supports the training and development of the nation’s best sprint cyclists providing access to leading coaching and sports science expertise and world-class training facilities like the Adelaide Super–Drome.

The AIS works in partnership with Cycling Australia to deliver a high performance track cycling program.

The AIS provides $1.4 million in funding annually to support the track and road cycling programs for men and women.