Tasmania’s Amy Cure, 27, has announced her immediate retirement from international cycling following a glittering twelve-year career representing Australia on the highest stage.

“It’s one of the most difficult decisions I have had to make,” said Cure, who was selected to the Australian Olympic Team for Tokyo 2020 last March. Cure revealed her decision to retire came following the postponement of the Games due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. “I feel the same as I do on the start line at an Olympic Games or World Championships. I’m incredibly nervous, but also so excited for the unknown.”
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One of the world’s most decorated track cyclists, Cure etched her name onto almost every honour board with her enviable resume boasting three world titles, two Commonwealth Games gold medals, three Australian Olympic Team selections and ten national titles. 

Cure stands alone as the only track cyclist in history to win a medal in six different world championship events - the individual and team pursuits, points and scratch races, the Madison and the omnium. Her 13 career World Championships medals (3 gold, 5 silver, 5 bronze) ranks second all-time for Australia’s female track cyclists behind Anna Meares (27). ​

“I have settled on this decision for a little while now, and I’m confident I have made the right choice and am excited for the next chapter in my life,” said Cure. “Cycling is and will always be something for which I’ll be forever grateful. It’s taught me so many valuable lessons that have shaped me into the person I am today. I’ve learned to be disciplined, perseverant and optimistic, but I think one of the biggest things I’ve learnt is how to be resilient.
 
“I’m satisfied with the achievements I’ve accomplished across my career, and my time with the Australian Cycling Team has given me so many incredible things in my life, and I’m so thankful for the opportunities and experiences I have had and the friends I have made. 

“But after making cycling my priority for the last decade, my relationships with family and friends are my priority now.”

Cure’s interest in cycling was sparked at the age of twelve after a visit to watch the Tasmanian Christmas Carnivals with her family. 

After quickly joining her local Cycling Australia club, Mersey Valley Devonport, Cure began to impress on the national stage as a teenager, before turning heads while on her Australian debut when she claimed four junior (Under 19) world titles across 2009 and 2010, including setting a world record in the individual pursuit. 

Cure made her elite World Championships debut in 2011 at the tender age of 18, before her first Australian Olympic Team experience came a year later with selection for the London 2012 Olympic Games. At the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, an unfortunate training crash on the eve of the Games cruelled the team’s chances of a podium finish. 

Breaking through for the first of three world titles in 2014 with victory in the points race in Colombia, Cure added a second rainbow jersey one year later in France after victory in the team pursuit in world record time (with Melissa Hoskins, Ashlee Ankudinoff and Annette Edmondson). 

At the 2019 UCI Track World Championships in Poland, Cure secured her third world crown with Ashlee Ankudinoff, Alexandra Manly, Annette Edmondson and Georgia Baker in the team pursuit. 

Amy contested two Commonwealth Games, firstly in Glasgow in 2014 where she won silver and bronze medals, before dual gold on home soil at the 2018 Games on the Gold Coast.

While focused on the track, Cure also achieved success on the road with a triple victory (GC, Youth and Points Classification) in the 2013 Tour de Feminin in the Czech Republic a highlight, while also contesting such WorldTour Classics as Ronde Van Vlaanderen, La Flèche Wallonne and La Course by Tour de France. 

“The 2018 Commonwealth Games Gold medals would have to be up there for one of the best. A home Games is something so special and to have all your loved ones close by was incredible,” said Cure, who revealed her 2019 world title was her greatest achievement. 

“Four months prior to those world championships, I had a breakdown of a long-term relationship that came to an unexpected end. It was a difficult and dark time, so to be able to come out and win the gold medal despite the circumstances was an incredible self-achievement and my proudest moment.”

While Cure walks away from the team with a third Australian Olympic Team selection secured, she is confident that her squad has the goods for success in Tokyo in 2021. 

“I really believe they have the girls to give Australia every opportunity of success in Tokyo as they have great depth, talent and coaching.

“It’s been a difficult decision as I know Glenn O’Shea will be an exceptional coach. That made it hard in my decision making as I know it’s a huge set back in moving forward.

“I would much rather allow someone else that has the drive, energy, motivation and potential to be great. I believe they will do just as good, if not better without me there. And there is no doubt in my mind about that.

Cure paid tribute to the many people integral to guiding her along her journey in the sport. 

“I’ve been fortunate to have some pretty influential people in my career, both on and off the bike. It is hard to thank everyone, but I would like to mention Matthew Gilmore, who has been beside me all 15 years of my career. Whether it was in the TIS as a coach or CA, he has been such an influential mentor to myself personally and my career as a cyclist. 

“And the other would have to be the Trengove family. I moved in with them ten years ago when I was trying to make my first Olympic Games, and they have been so supportive and understanding.

“And to my teammates who have been there every single day along the way and the support from all the staff at both Cycling Australia and the Tasmanian Institute of Sport. They have given me so many opportunities for which I will be forever grateful. 

“And finally, a thank you to my family back in Tassie. They have been so supportive of me across the whole journey, through all the ups and downs. I wouldn’t have achieved what I did without their support.”

“I want to personally thank Amy for her tremendous contribution to the sport of cycling for more than 15 years,” said Cycling Australia Performance Director Simon Jones. “I fully support Amy’s decision to retire, understanding the significance to her and the team. From all the team, we wish you well for the future."

Cycling Australia will nominate a new athlete to the AOC for selection to the Tokyo 2020 Australian Olympic Team in line with its nomination criteria. 

Amy Cure - Career Snapshot  

• 3x World Champion (Elite - 2014 Points Race, 2015 & 2019 Team Pursuit) 
• 3x Olympian (2012, 2016, Named to 2020 team prior to retirement) 
• 2x Commonwealth Games gold (2018 - Team Pursuit & Scratch Race)
• 10x National Champion (Elite)
• 4x Junior World Champion (2009 & 2010)

Below is an update on the nomination processes for the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, plus a notice regarding no Australian Team selection for the 2020 UCI Junior Track World Championships in August, in Egypt. 

Olympic & Paralympic Nominations Update

Following the deferral of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games until 2021 and recent Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) announcements, Cycling Australia (CA) can make the following updates with regards to nomination processes for the following teams after the suspension of the qualification periods as of 3 March 2020.

For Mountain Bike, BMX Freestyle and BMX Race (Supercross), the Olympic qualification periods for which should have ended on 11 May 2020, 27 May 2020 and 1 June 2020 respectively, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) replied favourably to the following propositions from the UCI:

• Mountain Bike Cross Country (XCO): The points awarded at two weekends of the UCI MTB XCO World Cup during the 2021 season will be added to those taken into account in the ranking of 3 March 2020. The weekends are still to be determined and will be communicated at a later date.
• BMX Freestyle: The points awarded at two weekends of the UCI BMX Freestyle World Cup during the 2021 season will be added to those taken into account in the ranking of 3 March 2020. The weekends are still to be determined and will be communicated at a later date.
• BMX Race: The points awarded at two weekends of the UCI BMX Supercross World Cup during the 2021 season and at the 2020 UCI BMX World Championships will be added to those taken into account in the ranking of 3 March 2020. The remaining UCI World Cup weekends are still to be determined and will be communicated at a later date.  CA will also await further updates from UCI as to the rescheduled dates for the 2020 UCI World Championships and the 2021 UCI BMX Supercross World Cup schedule.

With regards to Para-cycling and Road:  
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• Para-cycling: The UCI Management Committee has approved a modified qualification system based on the principles applied for the Olympic qualification process mentioned above. This is awaiting approval from the International Paralympic Committee (IPC). The points gained in the UCI combined nations ranking up until 3 March 2020 will remain valid and will see the addition of points earned in the first two rounds of the UCI Para-cycling Road World Cup for the 2021 season. The weekends are still to be confirmed and will be announced at a later date.
• Road: Cycling Australia will add several races from the 2020 calendar to the Olympic nomination document but races in 2021 will be weighted with higher importance. The selection window will be frozen for the majority of the 2020 season and will resume before the 2020 UCI Road World Championships and will include events up until the end of April 2021.

“With specific regard to the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) nomination process, we will continue with our approach to nominate athletes with medal-winning potential as a priority,” said Performance Director Simon Jones.

“These changes to the qualification window simply mean we have more time to get those nation quotas that will support our medal targets. With COVID-19 looking like it's under control in Australia, we will need to make the best of this situation and work towards 2021 goals.”

No Cycling Australia National Team Selection for 2020 UCI Junior Track World Championships

Due to the Australian Government’s international travel bans as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, CA will not be selecting a team to compete at the 2020 UCI Junior Track World Championships which are scheduled for 16 - 21 August 2020, in Egypt. 

“It is unfortunate that we have had to make this decision, but the health and safety of our athletes and staff team is paramount,” said Performance Director Simon Jones.
 
“As a high-performance network, we will continue to create domestic opportunities for developing athletes as we have done recently with the Under 19 Individual Time Trial camp and the High Performance Network (HPN) virtual camps in April.” 

Updates on the next camp will be communicated shortly.

Cycling Australia says thank you - National Volunteer Week 

As the country celebrates National Volunteer Week, Cycling Australia would like to thank all our wonderful volunteers who give their time to keep the wheels of our great sport turning across Australia.

The contributions and sacrifices of thousands of volunteers across our hundreds of clubs, events and the Australian Cycling Team, ensure our cyclists, participants and spectators can share in and enjoy our great sport. 

The theme for National Volunteer Week 2020 is “Changing Communities. Changing Lives” and it is clear that we have many unsung heroes who are doing just that across the country. 

In the Australian Cycling Team, Olympian Stephanie Morton has been making a difference through her volunteer work with the University of South Australia Invictus Pathways Program.

The Invictus Pathways Program is for current and past-serving veterans and emergency first responders who have physical, emotional and/or psychological conditions often suffered as a result of traumatic events. The aim of the program is to provide pathways for community reintegration, rehabilitation and recovery programs and to also provide goal setting, peer to peer activities and to support well-being.
 
The Program utilises sport and exercise to help those impacted achieve life goals and Morton jumped at the opportunity to become an ambassador in 2017 and has attended a number of training camps with athletes. 

“Having been a part of the Australian Para-cycling program from 2010-2012, I thought it was a great opportunity to pass on some of my experience and even learn a thing or two myself,” said Morton, a 2012 London Paralympic Games gold medallist as a Tandem Pilot. 
 
“These people have literally sacrificed their lives to keep ours safe, so being able to chat with them and even just be a small part of their journey is humbling. 

“We talk about everything from recovery to race day pressure, but I enjoy attending their events and functions where I hear them share their story or be recognised for their efforts at the Invictus Games.”

Ever wanted to ride with the Australian Cycling Team? Well this is your chance!

Cycling Australia is providing a virtual racing, workout and participation series on the online training platform Zwift which aims to get people active and have fun while the COVID-19 pandemic keeps us indoors.

Every Saturday at 10.00am AEST, cyclists will have their chance to ride with Olympians, Paralympians and world champions of the Australian Cycling Team in a variety of sprint and endurance HIIT rides.

Carol Cooke - Women's Only Ride 

Join world & Paralympic champion Carol Cooke for a women's only ride this Saturday 23 May at 10am AEST on Zwift. 

Register now via the Zwift Companion App. 

Following a review of the Australian Cycling Team’s Performance Strategy and operations, Cycling Australia is undertaking an operational restructure of the Australian Cycling Team which will support its objectives for Tokyo 2021 while underpinning the athlete pathway and coach development through to 2024 and beyond. 

A review was scheduled to take place after the completion of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2020, however, the review was brought forward to ensure a smooth transition to new operations ahead of the rescheduled Games in 2021 and a shortened performance cycle through to Paris 2024. 

This restructure does not represent a change of strategy, but rather a refinement of the way the current strategy is delivered. The objective of the restructure, which is primarily focused on the track and para programs, is to maximise performance by supporting and developing coaches to deliver and lead their programs with tighter performance support teams, meaning that communication, training, and preparation will be streamlined.

As a result of the changes detailed above, eleven roles will be restructured, resulting in seven staff members leaving the team, with a further four staff members being offered refocused roles. The Team will recruit a number of new roles including a Director of Coaching and Director of Performance Pathways. 

Steve Drake, CEO, Cycling Australia: “I would like to thank the departing staff members for their significant contributions to the Australian Cycling Team during their tenures. While we are very conscious of the timing of these decisions, the deferral of the Olympic and Paralympic Games necessitated these changes being made now and is in the best interests of the athletes and the broader performance team.”

Simon Jones, Performance Director, Australian Cycling Team: “With the delay of Tokyo 2020 and the interruption of normal performance activity due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, we believe that it is in the best interests of the entire program to complete a review and to implement this restructure now. 

“The period post-Tokyo 2021 will see a condensed competition phase that includes the 2021 Road and Track Cycling World Championships, Paralympic and Olympic Nation / World Cups, followed shortly by Birmingham Commonwealth Games in 2022 which is a major objective for the team.
 
“We believe these changes increase our chance of success in 2021 with more focussed and strategically aligned teams, and at the same time we will look closely at our pathway strategies over the coming months to ensure we have a surplus of talent creating upward pressure in the pathway to meet Cycling’s 2024 and 2028 medal potential.” ​

As the world continues to move in and out of differing levels of isolation and lockdowns, Australian Cycling Team athletes both in Australia and across the globe are adopting a variety of strategies to deal with the closure of training facilities and gyms, the cancellation of racing and the postponement of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games. 

Since heading into lockdown in March, the Australian Cycling Team road, bmx, track and para-cycling squads have taken part in digital catch-ups, with the online forums providing an opportunity for all to discuss their current situations while sharing their own strategies and methods they are using to navigate through the challenging time. 

Loungeroom pilates, yoga and meditation sessions, setting up home gyms, taking business, cooking and Zumba classes, knitting bespoke clothes and adopting pets are just some of the strategies being adopted in addition to ramping up their indoor racing and training programs. 

Many of Australia's internationally-based road athletes returned to Australia quickly after border and flight restrictions were imposed across the world, and while the majority of the women's peloton headed back down under, a few athletes chose to stay at their homes in their adopted European countries including Italy, Spain, Switzerland, France and Finland. At the same time, the men remain scattered across Europe with the majority at home in two of the hardest-hit countries in Italy and Spain.

​Road Technical Director Brad McGee has been impressed with the positivity of all athletes and their ability to create strategies for staying fit, active physically and mentally and remain in communication with their wider community. 

"This group continues to amaze me with their ability to keep a healthy balance," McGee explained. "Accepting the struggles and seeking ways forward with that Find-A-Way attitude essential to high-performance sport, they are instrumental in navigating through this shared community challenge. 

"Staying connected is super important now and will continue in the future. Sharing information plus each other's challenges and solutions with a laugh where possible is essential. 

"We have made these catch-ups a regular feature, and I hope our wider community can take on board and benefit from how these athletes are combatting the current issues." 

Similarity, BMX Technical Director Wade Bootes believed the challenge for the athletes to adapt to the restrictions will inspire critical thinking across the squad. 

Most of Australia's leading BMX Racing and Freestyle athletes returned to Australia, with Brandon Loupos choosing to remain in the USA where he has access to a training facility. 

"The recent isolation restrictions have inspired more creativity to continue progression," Bootes explained. "The BMX group is used to working remotely and using technology to be engaged, this will only increase as individuals but also as a group.  

"Now knowing the goalposts have been moved (Olympic Games), this allows us to revisit areas to work on in this extended period. Once you start to focus on the controllables, you can quickly structure activities around the boundaries we are all forced to live by in a safe and respectful way.

For Chloe Hosking, she is relieved after an early return to Australia and to her support structure in her family.  

"Rally Cycling actually cancelled our European racing block before other races began to be cancelled, and I appreciated the team making an early decision to give all the riders some certainty. It was a really anxious and uncertain time, and I know I don't do well in those environments. I like a plan and structure. So by the team making an early call to send us home, I was able to head back to my family where I have the best support." 

Hosking has revealed she has taken the opportunity to make the most out of a bad situation and is encouraging others to do the same. 

"Leading into this year I'd made the decision to defer my study until after the Olympics so I hadn't been studying in the early part of the year. So I made the assessment that I would be in Australia for an indefinite period of time and enrolled in some law courses which will help me get closer to completing my post-graduate law studies.  

"My husband and I also made the decision that there was never going to be a better time than now to adopt a puppy as we have a lot of time at home coming up to bond with her and for her to learn about us and us about her.

"If you can, I would highly encourage people to use this period to foster or adopt a pet. They bring so much joy into your lives and also give you a sense of purpose and routine." 

Mitchelton-Scott's Luke Durbridge is into his third week of lockdown with his wife in their Spanish apartment with outdoor trips only permitted for food shopping or medical supplies. 

"We are lucky, we have a big apartment and we are soaking up as much sun on the terrace as we can," Durbrudge said. "I have been getting creative in terms of cooking and baking, making a lot of nice meals. 

"Have been doing a lot of indoor training done on Zwift which is challenging, but has been a lot of fun. But we are trying to do our bit by staying indoors as the health workers don't need any added factors like us cyclists out on the road crashing or having to go to the hospital and putting stress on the system. 

"Lots of facetime with family and friends, I have never facetimed so much in my life as I wasn't such a big fan of it, but now, with everything going on, you just want to see people's faces.

"I also have an electronic drumkit here in the apartment, and I am hopefully not annoying my neighbours too much as I have been putting the headphones on and playing that a fair bit."

For some athletes, there is an upside to home isolation with BMX Freestyler Logan Martin benefiting from his investment in a personal skatepark, gym and pool at his Gold Coast home. 

"I would usually go to a functional styled gym with classes, but they are now doing them online which I just do at my house. And I can ride my skatepark as much as I need to, so that is definitely a good thing during times like this." 

Adelaide-based track and para-athletes have either remained in Adelaide, with some athletes taking advantage of the extended break to return to their native home states and prepare their bodies and minds for the postponed Olympic Games which have moved to July 2021. 

"I feel optimistic about having one more year to prepare considering my body has felt on edge for the past six months," said Kaarle McCulloch who sees the opportunity in the adversity. "I think it's a good opportunity for people to take a step back and take a breath and focus on the small delights of life. I've started reading again, 

"I've seen more of my family in the last two weeks than I have for the past two years. Sure life is different but it's only going to be different for a while. 

"Soon enough we'll be busy and focused again. Sometimes life throws us a curveball and we don't always have to see it as an adversity, I see this time as an opportunity."

For those remaining in Adelaide, many are enjoying riding outdoors (as individuals or pairs only) while it is still permitted, and while the Super-drome track and gym remains closed, Strength and Power Coach Scott Baker managed the implementation of home gyms for athletes. 

Performance psychology and mental health support for the members of the Australian Cycling Teams and squads continues though remote servicing through coaches and Cycling Australia's Head of Performance Psychology and Behaviours, Dr Ruth Anderson. 
 
"All athletes will have their own plans devised and will be implementing their own strategies to assist in optimising their mindset as we face the challenges of the next few months," said Anderson, who highlighted common key principles for all the team members are to:  

• Accept and learn how to tolerate a level of anxiety that will be triggered by uncertainty and be proactive in managing your psychological state. 
  
• Keep your focus on the short term by creating new plans and routines around current restrictions, and be assertive in managing what is within your control in the current moment. 
  

"While our circumstances and environments have significantly changed, what doesn't change is our capacity to continue to work with riders on developing psychological ability and keeping everyone's mind fit" Anderson added.  

The Australian Cycling Team is pleased to announce the Athlete Memberships across all disciplines for 2020/21.

In all, 62 athletes will feature across the Para-cycling Track and Road (15), Track Sprint and Endurance (17), BMX Race and Freestyle (7), Road (13), and Podium Potential Academy (10) programs after being classified in the Podium, Podium Ready and Podium Potential categories. About the Australian Cycling Team Pathway. 

The Para-cycling (Track and Road) memberships include reigning Paralympic and world champions Carol Cooke and David Nicholas, plus Emily Petricola and Darren Hicks in a 15-athlete squad.  

The Track program is highlighted by Matthew Glaetzer, Stephanie Morton, Annette Edmondson and Samuel Welsford and welcomes three new members in Matthew Richardson (Sprint), Maeve Plouffe and Lucas Plapp (Endurance) who have progressed through the Podium Potential Academy^ pathway. 

In BMX, three athletes - Natalya Diehm (BMX Freestyle) and Lauren Reynolds and Izaac Kennedy (BMX Race) will receive Individual Athlete Performance Support (IAPS) memberships. The trio joins reigning world champion Brandon Loupos, 2017 world champion Logan Martin, plus Saya Sakakibara and Anthony Dean. 

Amanda Spratt, Chloe Hosking, Rohan Dennis and Michael Matthews headline the Road IAPS memberships, with five new athlete memberships to be provided to Brodie Chapman, Grace Brown, Sarah Gigante, Jay McCarthy and Lucas Hamilton.   

The Podium Potential Academy has inducted four new members in Leigh Hoffman (Sprint), Ruby Roseman-Gannon and Joshua Duffy (Endurance/Road), in addition to Kristina Clonan who will transition from the Podium Track Endurance to the Academy’s Sprint program. Caitlin Ward (Sprint) will receive transitional support as she exits the program.

The Para-cycling (Track and Road) will see six riders exit the program in Kieran Murphy, Brad Henderson (retirement), Michael Shippley, Darcy Thompson, plus Tandem pilots Lachlan Glasspool and Luke Zaccaria.  The latter four will transition to their respective High-Performance Network (HPN) state-based programs. 

Macey Stewart and Cameron Scott will exit the Podium Track Endurance program, while in Road, Rachel Neylan, Gracie Elvin, Shara Gillow, Nathan Haas, Luke Durbridge, and Richie Porte exited in December 2019.

Caroline Buchanan (BMX Race) has not been offered a new BMX IAPS membership, however, she will receive transitional support until August 2020. Kai Sakakibara (BMX Race) is receiving support as he continues recovery and rehabilitation following a racing accident in February.
  
“As we continue to prepare for the resumption of racing, and ultimately the Olympics and Paralympics in 2021, the confirmation of athlete memberships gives everyone a chance to continue to sharpen their focus on their preparation and individual progress and development,” said Simon Jones, Australian Cycling Team Performance Director. 

“I would like to thank those team members exiting the program for their commitment to their own personal development and to the Australian Cycling Team program as a whole. 

“Re-entry to the program for these athletes is possible. Sometimes, stepping back and taking time away from something can be a way to move forward if their ambition and desire remain.”

^ About the Podium Potential Academy - Launched in November 2018 with an inaugural class of thirteen athletes across both endurance and sprint disciplines, the PPA programme, which is supported and partly funded by Commonwealth Games Australia, focuses on the long term development of athletes orientated around success at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and through to the 2024 Olympic Games and beyond.
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Australian Cycling Team Athlete Membership 2020/2021 - Full list (PDF)

FULGAZ BENEFITS TO CA MEMBERS

• FulGaz is offering all CA members a 20% discount off their subscription fee. 
• Extension of the 2-week trial to a 4 week trial for all CA Members

​Your promo code can be accessed at: cycling.org.au/nat/exclusive-member-discounts-offers

ABOUT FULGAZ

With hundreds of virtual videos filmed on bikes in up to 4k, FulGaz transports you to iconic rides from around the world. It works with just about any indoor trainer, adjusting video speed and resistance to match your effort.

So go ahead and push yourself on hills that mimic the real road riding experience. When you’re done, upload to Strava, TrainingPeaks or Today’s Plan.

FulGaz will feel exactly the same as riding outdoors if it’s set up correctly. Take a moment to set up your weight and trainer settings. Your legs will thank you!

The #AusCyclingTeam’s ‘30 from 30 Series’ featured current and former Australian Cycling Team athletes, coaches and staff showing us the different, creative and unique ways they are keeping healthy and active both physically and mentally, and staying connected while in isolation or lockdown across Australia and the world.  

Day 64 - Easter Sunday

It’s been a tough 9 weeks so far with huge uncertainty and massive challenges for Kai, he has been fighting all the way and is making good progress. We’re eternally grateful for the support Kai has been receiving from friends and people who know him either personally or via social media, it’s a great boost for us in these difficult times. 

As a family, we have been focussed on Kai but we have realised that there are many people who feel as we do and are genuinely concerned. Updates have been hard because of the uncertainty around Kai’s condition so they have been vague in places. However, we all know Kai has always been open and honest in his social media posts even during the difficult times and we will try to do the same with the updates so everyone will have a better understanding of what is going on. We believe Kai would want you all to be with him on this journey wherever it goes.

A lot has been happening since the last Kai update 2 weeks ago and while there is positive news there is also the gradual understanding of just how serious Kai’s injury is.
The first piece of good news is Kai’s operations have finished; he now has a cool scar on his head which will be covered up as his hair grows back. We were lucky to have everything done before the Coronavirus put a halt on all non-essential surgery.

More exciting news Kai has finally left Canberra hospital after nearly 8 weeks and has moved to BIRU (Brain Injury Rehabilitation Unit) in Liverpool. We have been told he can expect to be there for many months. The move is good for a number of reasons: 1. from a medical perspective he is well enough to leave the hospital; 2. he can start on the rehabilitation process; 3. he is closer to home; and, 4. BIRU is probably one of the safest places he can be during the Covid-19 virus pandemic.

Ten days ago when Kai arrived at BIRU he was able to respond to questions by pointing to ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ written on a piece of paper. Since then he has started to speak a little so does not need the paper anymore which is a great step. He can respond to simple questions but is still very confused. The crash has impacted the part of his brain responsible for speech, so the words are jumbled up and unclear - they just don’t come out how he wants which is frustrating for him. Sometimes he gets annoyed and sometimes he just puts on that patient Kai smile and we move on.

Kai has his phone and scrolls through social media every day, he ‘likes’ posts and tries to send text messages to friends but they are invariably scrambled. So, if you get a text from Kai don’t worry his account has not been hacked, he’s just trying to get in touch with people. Feel free to respond but don’t expect anything to make much sense at the moment.

So, Kai continues to ‘emerge’ from the state of unconsciousness, and we are super excited to start communicating with him. However, as time progresses it becomes more and more evident that this has been a truly serious injury. The doctors tell us Kai has a TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) on the left side of his brain which is severely impacting his ability to move the right side of his body and also his ability to speak amongst other things. We have been told that Kai will have some permanent disability.

Rehabilitation has started, Kai has been undergoing a number of different types of therapy; Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy and Speech Therapy. He is making solid improvements. It is all extremely tiring; one hour of physiotherapy in the morning will make him tired for the rest of the day, as you can imagine he always puts in 100% so this is to be expected. Next Tuesday we (Yuki, Saya and Martin) have a meeting with the therapists to define goals for Kai for the next four weeks. It’s really good to finally start on a structured program and we’re really looking forward to being part of Kai’s rehabilitation.

The Covid-19 pandemic brings an extra layer of challenges around Kai’s situation. We have to be super careful he does not get the Coronavirus, luckily he is in a safe place in Liverpool BIRU. As a family, we are limited to one visitor at a time so we rotate our visits so one of us will be there with him every day. We’re usually there most of the day from 10am until he has finished dinner around 6:30pm. Ideally, Kai would have more interaction with other people and we’re trying to work out the best way to do this.

Please continue to follow Kai’s progress and keep him in your thoughts, this is going to be long and we really appreciate you all being with us through these challenges.

“One day at a time, one moment at a time. Let’s go.”

Martin, Yuki, Saya

#KaiFight77 

Fundraising accounts

KaiFight77: BSB 182-182 | Account No 3380821 | Swift Code (for international) MACQAU2SXXX

​Road 2 Recovery (10% goes to the Road 2 Recovery foundation which is a good thing) road2recovery.com/cause-view/kai-sakakibara

Ever wanted to ride with the Australian Cycling Team? Well this is your chance!

Cycling Australia is providing a virtual racing, workout and participation series on the online training platform Zwift which aims to get people active and have fun while the COVID-19 pandemic keeps us indoors.

Every Saturday at 10.00am AEST, cyclists will have their chance to ride with Olympians, Paralympians and world champions of the Australian Cycling Team in a variety of sprint and endurance HIIT rides.

Following a review following the 2020 UCI Track World Championships held in Berlin in February, Glenn O’Shea has been appointed to lead the women’s track endurance program, while Paolo Menaspà will now lead the performance support coordination for the track endurance program alongside his other duties.

With the support of the Victorian Institute of Sport (VIS), Glenn moves into the national coaching position from his senior VIS coaching role he has held since 2018.  O’Shea is a three-time world champion in the omnium and team pursuit, and a London 2012 Olympic Games silver medallist. 

Menaspà, a former Mapei scientist, coach for Greenedge and a UCI Junior Track World representative for Italy, brings an applied performance science and practical experience to the endurance team. 

As a result of the new appointments, Tim Decker will be able to maximise all his efforts to the Men’s Track Endurance objectives while Jason Bartram has been offered a new role within the team.

Welcome to the Australian Cycling Team's 30 from 30! 

Across the month of April, a host of current Australian Cycling Team members, coaches and staff, plus former Australian Cycling Team athletes, will take you behind the scenes to show you some of the unique and different ways we are keeping healthy and active, keeping a routine and staying connected, and supporting our community by helping to inspire and motivate in your own endeavours at home.

Whether you’re in isolation in Australia or across the world.

Follow the #AusCyclingTeam at Facebook @AustralianCyclingTeam, Instagram @AustralianCyclingTeam and Twitter @AusCyclingTeam

Day 42

It is now exactly seven weeks since Kai crashed, and we are relieved to say that he is making progress — tiny steps in the right direction.

A key step for Kai is he now off the respirator and can breathe by himself unassisted. As he is not dependent on the breathing machinery, it has been possible to move him out of the ICU (Intensive Care Unit) and into a high care ward. During his time in ICU, Kai had dedicated nurses monitoring him 24/7 to ensure he had the best possible care to get through the very critical stage. It’s said that most people stay in ICU for less than a week, the fact that Kai was there for so long is an indication of the severity of his injury.

We were absolutely amazed by the care and professionalism provided by the Canberra ICU. There is no doubt without their incredible skills, support infrastructure and genuine ability to look after critically ill patients, Kai would not be here today. Each of the doctors and nurses was genuinely interested in providing an outstanding service for people in their care and we felt that Kai was in good hands while he was there. While we don’t have experience with the ICU in other hospitals, we are sure they all provide a similarly high level of care.

Some other wins for Kai over the past few weeks: 1. Kai was on extremely strong sedation to ensure he would not move; the heavy drugs have been stopped and have cleared out of his system. 2. Most of the connections to machines have now been removed; Kai was connected to heart monitor, blood pressure monitor, respirator, brain pressure monitor — these have all gone. 3. Kai has opened his eyes and is looking around.

According to the neurosurgeons, Kai is starting the long process of “emerging” from his coma. People who are emerging from a coma do not just ‘wake up’, but go through a gradual process of regaining consciousness over a long period of time which could take months. This is the start of the recovery process; the doctors are happy with the improvements he has made so far but does remind us that they are not able to predict the future. Every case is different.

Fundraising thanks
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During this time, a fantastic group of friends came together and organised an online auction to raise funds for Kai's recovery. With riders from around the world donating their jerseys, bikes, number plates and other goodies. For a week of the auctions, social media was filled with awesome people getting behind Kai's fundraiser, and by the end of it there was over AUD$45,000 raised — we were blown away. Your work and effort are really appreciated. Thank you so much to everyone who was involved.

There was also an amazing fundraiser night organised by our friend Paula Griffiths in NSW and hosted by Ben Hidalgo from Holeshot Fitness a couple of weeks ago. Many people and organisations donated wonderful items to be auctioned off. Lots of people attended, a number of whom we have not seen for years making, it a really successful event with a fantastic atmosphere. It’s ironic that Kai would have loved to be there to meet everyone, but if he could have attended there would have been no need for the event …

Some clubs around Australia held novelty races, other clubs have been selling #KaiFight77 stickers and T-shirts, we even heard of young riders in the UK selling #KaiFight77 stickers at the UK National Series. The support for Kai has been absolutely amazing from the BMX community, the Helensburgh community where we live and other friends. We are incredibly humbled by the response and the support from people all around the world. And no doubt, it has helped us be strong and keep positive. 

Spotify playlists

Lots of people have taken the time to put together some playlists for Kai, there are Playlists from Australia, UK, France, Japan and Italy which is amazing. Some of the playlists have plenty of F-bombs, some are clean and all are very much appreciated. Kai is a big music lover so we have been playing your music to him constantly. Please keep those playlists coming …. label them “#KaiFight77 - your name” so we know who created them. If you have not listened to the #KaiFight77 playlists on Spotify then give them a go — there are some great collections there.

Kai’s family

We’re still staying in an AirBnB about 10 mins walk from the hospital so we're able to go and see Kai 2 or 3 times a day without having to worry about traffic, parking etc. Saya is dedicated to training and her Olympic campaign. She understands that decisions made to optimise her training are also in Kai’s best interest. Martin and Yuki are trying to keep busy so please get in touch if you need anything.
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People ask how we are doing which is a bit tricky to answer. All parents want to help their children where they can, but in this case, we feel very helpless — this is Kai’s fight and ultimately success (whatever that looks like) will depend on him. We also have to manage the uncertainty of not knowing how things are going to turn out for Kai, we don’t know what recovery looks like and we don’t know how far he will be able to go.

In order to stay positive, we try and focus on what we have gained and not what we have lost. We don’t spend too much time thinking about how close Kai was to his dream of making the Olympics because that doesn’t help. Instead, we need to remind ourselves that we nearly lost him seven weeks ago and he has fought to get to where he is today — there are small improvements every day and we are grateful for all of these. Things are so much better now than they were 42 days ago.

Next steps

Every day is a different day for Kai. Some days will be good, somedays will be not so good. But what we know is that Kai will keep fighting until the job is done. It is in his nature.

On the 1st January, 2020 Kai made the following post on Instagram

“How far can I go? How far am I willing to go? How far will I go? A new opportunity to redefine who we are and who we want to be - but it’s up to us to take action. We have to take action….A huge year ahead. One day at a time, one moment at a time. Let’s go.”

Little did Kai know how big this year is going to be, his goals have been reset and he will have to redefine who he is. For Kai and for us it is absolutely …

One day at a time, one moment at a time. Let's go.

Regards,

Martin, Yuki, Saya

Fundraising accounts

KaiFight77: BSB 182-182 | Account No 3380821 | Swift Code (for international) MACQAU2SXXX
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Road 2 Recovery (10% goes to the Road 2 Recovery foundation which is a good thing) road2recovery.com/cause-view/kai-sakakibara

As we reported on 18 March, one of our Adelaide-based staff members tested positive to COVID-19 on Monday 16 March. The team member is receiving the right medical support and is in good spirits in hospital and making progress. 

Government health authorities have undertaken tracking and tracing, as per their policies and processes. 

In addition to these measures, we have chosen to test six additional team members - comprising three athletes and three staff - this decision was a precautionary measure only. Five have since returned negative results. We expect to receive the remaining test result over the next 24-48 hours and will provide an update when this is received.

Following a review of this situation, we are confident that staff and athlete exposure to the infected staff member was extremely low primarily due to a pre-planned staff and athlete break from the Adelaide training environment for the period of 7-15 March.

In responding to this situation, Cycling Australia and the Australian Cycling Team have activated its Critical Incident Management Team. This team convenes daily to facilitate rapid decision making and leadership. 

Cycling Australia and the Australian Cycling Team have been proactive in implementing a range of measures aimed at reducing the potential impact of the infection over and above government public health recommendations and considerations.  

Further to this, we have been proactive in implementing evidence-based hygiene practices and education as far back as 2018, and more recently we stepped up and reinforced hygiene practice for travel and training prior to the 2020 season. We are confident that we have taken and continue to take prudent measures to maximise athlete and staff health.

Recent measures that have been taken to reduce infection risk and protect staff and athletes:

• Super-drome closures this week; 17-20 March
• Additional cleaning of the training environment and office spaces
• Social distancing measures such as reduced staff and athletes at the Super-drome, reduced working in closed spaces and reducing contact and face to face meetings, the closing of meeting spaces such as athlete lounge and kitchen areas will be implemented from 23 March
• Podium Potential Academy athletes have returned to their families and home states
• SASI Development athletes will train outdoors for the next four weeks, providing more space between people, and sessions in the venue 
• Continued vigilance on best practice hand hygiene and no handshaking

On the performance side, we have been proactive in short and medium-term planning with scenario and contingency planning for all high-performance competition and domestic racing and camps with a continuing priority focus on protecting the health of athletes and staff. 
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We are seeking to provide both a training purpose and appropriate objective setting but also being considerate of the broader global impact of this infection pandemic.  

Simon Jones, Performance Director, Cycling Australia

More: The most up to date information on COVID-19 (Coronavirus) can be found at the Australian Government Department of Health website with advice and information relating to high-performance environments found at the AIS webpage.

Australian Olympic Committee Release

Fifteen track cyclists have been announced on the Australian Olympic Team for Tokyo 2020 today, featuring six Olympic debuts, seven athletes making their second Olympic Team and Annette Edmondson and Matthew Glaetzer returning for their third Games.
 
Matthew Glaetzer, Nathan Hart, Matthew Richardson, Kaarle McCulloch and Stephanie Morton will compete in the sprint events, with Ashlee Ankudinoff, Georgia Baker, Amy Cure, Annette Edmondson, Maeve Plouffe, Leigh Howard, Kelland O’Brien, Lucas Plapp, Alex Porter and Sam Welsford selected for the endurance events.
 
With athletes who have medalled at the Olympics and claimed World Championship titles in their career, the 15-strong squad will compete from 3-9 August in Tokyo’s Izu velodrome over 12 events, including the Olympic return of the two-rider Madison event for the first time since Beijing 2008.
 
Australian Chef de Mission for Tokyo 2020 Ian Chesterman welcomed the cyclists to the Australian Olympic Team, acknowledging the current unprecedented uncertainty around international sport.
 
“Athletes have waited four years, and in some cases longer, for this opportunity,” Mr Chesterman said. “We are in uncharted waters, but we want to set a course to ensure they can prepare for the Games in the best possible environment and they can get to the Games safely. Part of that process is to announce athletes as they are nominated and selected to the Australian Olympic Team.
 
“Australian track cyclists have a phenomenal Olympic legacy and I want to congratulate the fifteen athletes selected today to continue that tradition.
 
“This is the result of more than a decade of unrelenting hard work by our athletes and it is worth celebrating. This is an achievement for the athletes, the whole Cycling Australia team, coaches, family, friends and supporters.
 
“The resilience these athletes have already shown is inspiring – Matt Glaetzer’s named to his second Games despite the challenge of thyroid cancer; Kaarle McCulloch overcoming the disappointment of missing Rio 2016 to become World Champion in 2019 and make her Olympic return; each athlete selected today has a story of perseverance and we’re proud to select them to the Australian Olympic Team today.
 
“There’s certainly disruption in preparing for the Games for many sports, but I encourage the fifteen cyclists announced today and all athletes pursuing their dream of competing at Tokyo 2020 to continue taking care of what they can control – training and preparing as best as possible to be ready for Tokyo.”
 
2019 World Champion and London 2012 bronze medallist Kaarle McCulloch was proud to be selected for her second Games, just weeks after she secured a 2020 World Championships Team Sprint silver with Steph Morton off limited preparation.
 
“The dream I had when I was 12 watching the Sydney Olympics with my dad feels as real as yesterday,” McCulloch said. “I’ve always had the Olympic spirit within me and I’m ecstatic to be able to be back competing.
 
“My motto into the world championships was “perfect preparation doesn’t predict”. This is the same kind of attitude I’ll be taking with me into Tokyo amidst all the uncertainty and nervousness in the world right now.
 
“Nothing changes for me in terms of my application to my training but a lot is changing in the way we train. As athletes, we are role models for everyone for health. We are taking quite serious steps in our training to ensure we are being responsible athletes but also people. We are following all the guidelines as set out by our medical professionals and we are prepared to face this challenge.
 
“We as humans are facing a challenge but we have also shown we are able to overcome. The world will recover from this and I believe everyone has within them part of the Olympic spirit, this is why the Olympics are so special - it brings the world together when we need it the most.
 
At just 19, Lucas Plapp will make his Olympic debut as the youngest member on the 2020 Track Team after a monumental rise in the past 12 months.
 
“I had a little tear in my eye when I found out I made the Tokyo Team, it was a pretty special moment and I was just speechless,” Plapp said.
 
“After the Brisbane World Cup [December 2019] I really started to believe I could make this Team.
 
“I’ve learned so much from [teammate] Sam Welsford from his experiences four years ago and the rest of the team create such a good environment to learn and train in – it helped me realise it’s where I want to be and helped me take my own performance to a new level.
 
After the Danish team broke the World Record held by Australia at the World Championships in February 2019, Plapp is looking forward to the challenge.
 
“It’s a new scenario now to be the hunter and not the hunted, we’ll be using that to our advantage to try to come out and show the world what we’re capable of.”
 
Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Cycling Australia Steve Drake congratulated the athletes on their selection to Tokyo 2020.
 
“It is exciting to see a team with a rich blend of experienced Olympians and a number of rising stars set to make their debut, with all selections a testament to the hard work and performances of our athletes and to the commitment and dedication of our coaches, and performance support staff,” Mr Drake said.

“These are unprecedented times, with the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic impacting communities across the world. The impacts to sports including cycling are widespread, but we will continue to work through these challenging times to ensure our athletes and staff remain healthy and prepared for the Games.”
 
With individual event determinations expected closer to the Games, the endurance athletes will compete across the Team Pursuit, Omnium and Madison events with sprinters taking on the Individual Sprint, Team Sprint and Keirin events.
 
Today’s selection takes the selected Team size for Tokyo 2020 to 43 athletes. Cyclists in the road, BMX, BMX Freestyle and Mountain Bike disciplines are expected to be nominated and selected in the coming months.

Find out more with full Australian Olympic Team athlete bios at www.olympics.com.au/olympians

Over the next few months, the athletes and teams that will represent Australia in the five cycling disciplines - Road, Track, Mountain Bike, BMX Racing and BMX Freestyle - at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games will be announced. 

Below is a summary of the Olympic Qualification and Selection Timing situation as it currently stands.
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We understand this is ever-evolving and rapidly changing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and we will await further updates from the AOC over the coming days and weeks. 

Table: Announcement Date, Events & Quota Places per cycling discipline

Cycling Australia can confirm that an Adelaide-based Australian Cycling Team staff member returned a positive test to COVID-19 on Monday evening 16 March.

The staff member returned to Adelaide on the evening of Wednesday 4 March from the 2020 UCI Track Cycling World Championships which were held in Berlin, Germany. 

The staff member had minimal contact with fellow staff and athletes after returning from overseas and had no in-person contact with staff or athletes after beginning to experience symptoms. He is currently receiving appropriate medical care. 

The Adelaide Super-drome offices and training areas have been closed as a precautionary measure. The Super-drome has been cleaned and disinfected in preparation for return to work and training over the weekend, and when the team return a social distancing policy will be implemented to support ongoing risk management.

Simon Jones, Performance Director, Australian Cycling Team

The health and wellbeing of our athletes, staff and the broader public is our highest priority and that’s why we have responded quickly and thoroughly in this situation.

Our thoughts are with our team member as he continues to receive treatment and medical advice. 

Senior staff, including our team doctor, remain in regular communication to manage this situation and provide all the support required to athletes and staff in what are difficult times for all people all around the world

Today is day 25.

Kai is still in intensive care under 24-hour monitoring and support. A few weeks ago, doctors were not confident he would survive, but he has been fighting hard, and doctors are now more optimistic he will make it.

Kai has not woken up yet, so doctors don’t have any real idea of the extent of the injury. However, they do know he had a severe knock to the head, and they tell us rehabilitation will take many many months. They also said that Kai is young and extremely fit, which will really help.

At the moment Kai is hooked up to a number of crazy machines that are beeping, flashing, showing numbers and strange waveforms. He’s being fed intravenously and is on a respirator to help with his breathing. The nurses looking after Kai 24/7 are doing an amazing job and taking great care of him. The immediate goal is to get Kai off the respirator as soon as possible so he can move out of the Intensive Care Unit and onto the next step in the process.

We are staying in an Airbnb about 10 minutes’ walk from the hospital, and we visit Kai three or four times a day. Every Monday at 12:00 we have a meeting with the Neurosurgeons, ICU specialists, nurse and a social worker where we ask the hard questions, and they tell us they don’t have the answers. The reality is that it is still too early for a good prognosis, we are told Kai is progressing tiny steps at a time, and we really need to be patient. This is going to take a long time, and we don’t know what to expect.

Some time ago we were told it would be good to play music for Kai, so we took his mobile phone to the hospital and connected it to a Bluetooth speaker. He has a wide selection of music and particularly likes rap, some of the lyrics to the songs in his collection have a fair amount of explicit words beginning with the letter “f” or the word “mother”. The nurses like Kai’s collection, they don’t mind the lyrics and said that Kai has a great taste in music…… However, it would be awesome if people could create some new playlists for #KaiFight77 on Spotify so we can play them for him.

We are still staying positive and taking things day by day. The support and good wishes from everyone have been absolutely amazing and uplifting; we have seen message boards, signed banners, #KaiFight77 stickers on helmets, Kai’s photo on Facebook posts and much more. It’s very humbling to know how many people are concerned about Kai both from Australia and internationally.

We are on social media and have heard fantastic stories of fund-raising events for Kai, thank you all so very much for this. The funds will be necessary for Kai as he takes the long trip through rehabilitation.

We are also in the process of aligning with a wonderful organisation called Road 2 Recovery https://road2recovery.com/ this is the organisation that helped Sam Willoughby through difficult times over the past few years. Expect to see some communication from R2R in the future.

Kai has always been positive in the face of adversity. The quote below is from an Instagram post he made on 11 October 2019, it seems to be relevant now too.

“Thank you all for your continued support! We’ll keep moving forward.”

Martin, Yuki, Saya
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#KaiFight77

Australia has finished the 2020 UCI Track Cycling World Championships with three medals after Stephanie Morton won a bronze medal in the final event of the Championships, the women's keirin.

Morton's bronze added to the team sprint silver won with Kaarle McCulloch on the opening day of competition. All three of Australia's medals came through the sprint squad with Nathan Hart, Matthew Richardson, and Thomas Cornish winning team sprint bronze on day one. 

Despite Australia exiting a Track World Championships without a gold medal for the first time in twelve years, Australian Cycling Team Performance Director Simon Jones remains focussed on the team's overarching strategy which is aiming to deliver success at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. 

"Australia has had a pretty glittering history of winning world titles - in 2017 we won more world titles than you could poke a stick at and that is not what we are trying to achieve this year," Jones said. 

"We want to win in Tokyo. Yes, we were aiming for podium performances here, or very close to, and you can't hide the fact we have come up short in some areas. But we have to learn from it. 

"We tried several different things here, and we have to settle on a plan and then train to it. Now we have finished this period. We gave everyone opportunities, and now we have to gather the facts and make some decisions now.

"There are five months to the Games, which is a long time." 

Jones was impressed by the results of debutants Maeve Plouffe, 20, Luke Plapp, 19, and Tom Cornish, 20, who moved into the team via the Podium Potential Academy. 
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"The youngsters did very well, it is great to see, and that is a testament to the Academy in that we are providing opportunities to younger talent. They also provide upward pressure, and that is really good to see."

Stephanie Morton won her maiden World Championship keirin medal in a dramatic end to the women's keirin final in Berlin. 
"It was one of those days where I was in the groove, I was doing things right, I made minimal mistakes, and the main thing was I was having fun, and it all paid off." said Morton. 

Three tactically strong rides through the early rounds, including a win in the semi-final, saw Morton move comfortably into the final. Coming into the bell lap, Morton worked herself into second position on the wheel of the form rider of the week in Germany's Emma Hinze, already a dual gold medallist at these World Championships.

As the riders entered the final corner, Korea's Lee Hyejin came from underneath, pushing Morton out of the sprinter's lane and almost causing the Australian to crash as they entered the finishing straight.

While Morton juggled to keep her bike upright, Lee moved past her and rode to the silver medal behind Hinze, with Morton crossing the line third.

"Out of turn four I thought I was going to come down, but I managed to stay upright and power through to the line for bronze," described Morton. "I was pretty happy with that because the old me probably would have backed off the pedals a bit and got a bit flustered. That shows you what racing does, and it gives you that confidence." 

Morton began her 2020 Worlds campaign with silver in the team sprint with Kaarle McCulloch, the emotional win coming after an interrupted lead into the Championships for the pairing due to injuries. Morton then posted a personal best (10.483) in the flying 200m sprint qualifying, before an earlier than expected exit in the round 1/8. 

"I am super happy with the results after not having a full season of training I would have liked," explained Morton. "I came in here without the best legs, so it made me rely on all my skills, and we worked on the tactics, we tried to execute the races well. 

“Yes it puts you into a corner, but you also know when the legs are there, everything will come together."

Morton will head back into training in Adelaide next Friday and will await the Australian Olympic Team announcement on 18 March. Despite the team not winning gold in Berlin during the week, Morton remains committed to the team's ultimate goal in 2020. 

"The world has stepped up, but we haven't stepped down," Morton said. "Yes, it is hard when you think back to how successful we were last year, but we have Tokyo around the corner.

"Traditionally we come out to the Worlds before a Games and do well, and we can't convert.  
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"We came here with a plan, and we are where we need to be."

Two-time Madison world champion Cameron Meyer and Sam Welsford finished fifteenth in the men's 50-kilometre Madison.  
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With Denmark and New Zealand setting the early tempo in the 200-lap race, the Australian team, which paired up to win Madison gold at the Brisbane World Cup last December, opened its points tally in two of the first four of the intermediate sprint points offered every ten laps.  

After the fourth sprint, Denmark made the first major move of the day with a solo lap, adding twenty bonus points, moving them to 36 points. 

With New Zealand, Italy, France and Netherlands amassing points over the next 50-laps, Australia added to its score in the ninth sprint and at the halfway mark were poised at fifth overall on 7 points behind Denmark on 47points. 

Germany went on the attack shortly after but was closely followed by the Danes and the Netherlands which brought the race back together. With 75 laps remaining, Denmark and New Zealand had a stranglehold on the top of the standings, while Australia sat just inside the top ten on 7 points. 

By figuring across the next few sprints, Germany and the Netherlands climbed into podium contention inside the final 50 laps. However, Denmark continued to pile on the points and with a lead of 36 points at 40 laps remaining, had the rainbows all but secured. 

Australia's hope of a minor medal remained mathematically possible as they were within twenty points of third-place inside the final thirty laps. However, their chances came to an end moments later when they, along with the United States, were lapped by the field which moved them to thirteenth and forty points away from the podium. 
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A thrilling final four-way sprint between New Zealand, Netherlands, Belgium and Germany resulted in New Zealand's Aaron Gate and Campbell Stewart (33 points) taking the silver and the hometown pairing of Roger Kluge and Theo Reinhardt (32 points) the bronze medal. 

It was the Danish pairing of Lasse Norman Hanssen - who formed part of the world record-breaking team pursuit outfit on day one - and Michael Morkov took gold on 62 points. 

2019 world champion Alexandra Manly finished fourteenth in the women's points race won by Elinor Barker who claimed Great Britain's first gold medal of the week. 

Women’s Madison 120 laps / 30km 

One of the fastest ever World Championship Madison took its toll on the Australian pairing of Annette Edmondson and Amy Cure with the duo unable to complete the 120-lap final in Berlin. 

Edmondson’s dual 2019-20 World Cup gold medals and Cure’s two career World Championship medals in the discipline placed Australia as one of the favourites leading in, and the pair followed their plan during the first thirty laps after figuring in the first two sprint points. 

Reigning champions the Netherlands upped the pace shortly after, with France leading a race-changing attack at the halfway mark which splintered the field across the length of the track.

With the average pace the race ticking over the 50-kilometre an hour mark, and the physical intensity causing several crashes, the Aussie pairing fell off the pace and were lapped by the main bunch inside the final 30 laps. The Australian duo then pulled out of the race with 15 laps remaining. 

“We [Australia] had a lot of success as pairings in the World Cups this season, and we felt we knew what to expect,” said a disappointed Edmondson following the race. “We have been working so hard at home as a squad for the Madison, and we feel we were as mentally and tactically prepared as we could have been. 

“So I will take responsibility for that result because Amy had good legs. She was making really good decisions. I was making good decisions at the start of the race, I thought we were on, but as the race went on, I had no legs. I knew what I needed to do, but my legs couldn’t take me to do them.” 

While World Championships marked Edmondson’s return to competition after recovering from a broken collarbone sustained at December’s Track Cycling World Cup, the twenty-eight-year-old wasn’t using that as an excuse for the result. 

“I wouldn’t have put my hand up to race this race if I didn’t think I was mentally and physically prepared. Obviously, it was a slightly different prep, but I felt fitter than I have before. 

“Amy’s back has been average over the last few months, but she has been back on top, and she was ready to go as well. We both believed we could do it.”

Kirsten Wild and Amy Pieters of The Netherlands (36pts) defended their title in emphatic style, with France (24pts) and Italy (20pts) joining them on the podium. 

Men’s Omnium

Cameron Meyer launched a thrilling comeback late in the points race to secure sixth overall in the men’s omnium. 

Meyer, who claimed World Cup gold in the event last December, opened his 2020 World Championship omnium campaign with fourteenth in the scratch race, before placing eleventh in a hectic tempo race. 

Despite crashing early in the elimination race, commissaires allowed Meyer to rejoin the race and his eighth-place moved him eleventh overall on 60 points, 52 behind France’s 2017 world champion Benjamin Thomas. 

In the points race, Meyer attempted several attacks early but the field kept the Australian in check. Meyer lead a late breakaway with Britain’s Matthew Walls, and such was the pace of the race, it took nearly forty laps for the pair to take the lap on the field.

The twenty points rocketed Meyer into sixth overall however as it came with ten laps remaining, this is where he remained on the final standings. 

Benjamin Thomas held off a late surge by the Netherlands’ Jan Willem van Schip to take gold over the Dutch cyclist with Walls taking the bronze medal.  

Meyer returns to the track on the final day of competition for the men’s Madison, with the two-time world champion to team with Sam Welsford for the 200-lap/50-kilometre race. 

Women’s 3km Individual pursuit    

Twenty-year-old Maeve Plouffe continued to impress on debut with a top ten finish in the 3000m individual pursuit. The reigning national champion Plouffe clocked 3mins 26.742secs for the 12-lap event, bettering her personal best by five seconds which set only four months ago at the Oceania Championships. 

“The individual pursuit is an event I really enjoy riding, as weird as that sounds,” Plouffe said. “So to get the opportunity to ride it this week was amazing.” 

It has been a rapid rise for the Adelaide cyclist who joined the Australian Cycling Team’s Podium Potential Academy in 2018, before becoming a train-on member of the Podium squad late in 2019. Since then, Plouffe has claimed the World Cup team pursuit gold and silver and impressed while on her World Championships debut this week. 

“People are congratulating me on my steep trajectory, but I wouldn’t have had it if I didn’t get to train with the squad every single day,” said Plouffe. “My results started to improve when I got to train with them once a week. The squad are hard racers, but they are also hard trainers. They go out every day in training and rip their legs, and it is motivating to be with them.” 

Plouffe believes the disappointment of finishing off the podium this week will fuel the squad as they continue their charge toward the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. 

“Even though we have been a little disappointed this week with the team pursuits, It is almost a blessing in disguise coming out and seeing where the world is at,” Plouffe said. “Everyone says that Tokyo is only five months away, but I think you can achieve a lot in five months.”

“And I have never had an amazing result off the back of an awesome result because sometimes you need a kick in the guts to come back strong.”

2019 world champion Ashlee Ankudinoff finished in fourteenth position in a time of 3mins 28.118secs. 

Chloe Dygert claimed her third world title in the event in four years, breaking the world record twice on the day (3:16.937).