COMMONWEALTH GAMES - AUSTRALIAN MTB TEAM ANNOUNCED
Australian Cycling Team for Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games The Australian Commonwealth Games Association is pleased to announce the 41-member team nominated by Cycling Australia for the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow from July 23 to August 3, 2014.
Australian Cycling Team for Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games The Australian Commonwealth Games Association is pleased to announce the 41-member team nominated by Cycling Australia for the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow from July 23 to August 3, 2014. 24 males and 17 females will contest the disciplines of track, road and mountain bike, with Tandem Para-cycling track events to debut.
The team features 32 Games debutants and is highlighted by six (five reigning) Commonwealth Games gold medallists, five reigning world champions and a host of Olympic and Paralympic gold medallists. CEO of the Australian Commonwealth Games Association Perry Crosswhite is looking forward to seeing the cycling team perform in Glasgow.
“The success of our cycling team in Delhi was phenomenal and made a significant contribution to our medal tally,” Crosswhite said. “We realise the competition will be tougher in Scotland, but this is a strong team and we expect it will do well.”
Dual mountain bike Olympian Daniel McConnell, currently ranked number one in the Commonwealth and fourth in the world, and Rebecca Henderson who has flourished in the MTB World Cup Series over the past few seasons, head a six-member cross-country mountain bike team. Peta Mullens, Tory Thomas, Andrew Blair and Cameron Ivory have also been selected.
“Our team is flush with experienced world, Commonwealth, Paralympic and Olympic Games champions and medallists,” said Kevin Tabotta, National Performance Director of Cycling Australia. “Having the Para-cycling team join the team for Glasgow will be a new and extremely positive experience for us, and we also have many debutants heading to Glasgow with big ambitions.”
While the 2010 Games in India proved to be Australian cycling’s most successful in history with 21 medals, including 14 gold, Tabotta expects tough competition in all disciplines in Glasgow.
“Glasgow will surely be our greatest challenge with superb depth of fields, so the quality of competition will be first-rate and our team is preparing hard to challenge for podium spots.”
Men
Andrew BLAIR (35, ACT)
Cameron IVORY (22, NSW)
Daniel McCONNELL (28, VIC)
Women
Rebecca HENDERSON (22, ACT)
Peta MULLENS (26, VIC)
Tory THOMAS (35, VIC)
