The Tokyo Olympic Games will offer 22 cycling gold medals over five cycling disciplines, with action to feature every day of the Games between 24 July and 8 August. Tokyo 2020 Schedule

A team of 29 Australian athletes will contest the Games, highlighted by Daniel McConnell, who will become the first Australian to contest four Olympics in Mountain Bike.

Rebecca McConnell, Annette Edmondson, Amanda Spratt, and Lauren Reynolds will become the first Australian women to contest three Games in Mountain Bike, Track Endurance, Road Cycling, and BMX. AOC Team and Athlete Profiles

Catch all the Cycling from the Tokyo Olympic Games on Seven and 7plus: Live, Free and Streaming in HD at the 7plus Olympic Hub at 7Plus Schedule

ROAD CYCLING
There are two events in the road cycling at the Tokyo Olympic Games – road race and individual time trial.

The men's road race will be the first cycling event held at the Games on Saturday 24 July, with the women's road race on Sunday 25 July.

The men's road race will cover a 244km course, including 4,865m of elevation. The women face a 147km course with 2692m of elevation, starting in Tokyo's Musashinonomori Park and incorporating incredible views of Mt Fuji.

On Wednesday 28 July, both the men and women will contest the individual time trials that will see riders take on two laps of the 22.1km course for men and one for women, starting at the Fuji International Speedway.

For more information on what Road Cycling is, click here.

The road cycling team boasts a wealth of international experience headlined by two-time individual time trial world champion Rohan Dennis and dual World Championship medalist Amanda Spratt who return for their third Games.

Richie Porte, who reached the podium at the 2020 Tour de France podium, has been selected for a second Games, while Grace Brown, Tiffany Cromwell, Sarah Gigante, Lucas Hamilton and Jack Haig will make their Olympic debut.

Rider Profiles

Key Dates:

• Road Race 24 July 12:00 - 19:15 AEST
• Road Race 25 14:00 - 18:35 AEST

• Individual Time Trial 28 12:30 - 18:40 AEST

MOUNTAIN BIKE

Mountain Bike Cross-Country will make its seventh appearance as an official Olympic sport at Tokyo 2020. The race will take place at the Izu MTB Course, two hours southwest of Tokyo.

The off-road course measures 4,100 in length with elevations of up to 150m. The men's cross-country race will take place first on Monday 26 July and the women's race will take place the following day on Tuesday 27 July.

For more information on what Mountain Bike is, click here.

Australia will be sending two athletes to Tokyo for Mountain Bike, Daniel McConnell, and Rebecca McConnell. Daniel becomes the first Australian to make four Olympic Teams in Mountain Bike, and Rebecca, the first Australian woman to make three Games in Mountain Bike.

Rider Profiles

Key Dates:

• Men's Mountain Bike - Monday 26 July 16:00 – 18:00 AEST
• Women's Mountain Bike - Tuesday 27 July 16:00 – 18:00 AEST

BMX RACE

Tokyo will host the fourth ever BMX Race Olympic event which will be held at the Ariake Urban Sports Park in Tokyo. The track is situated close to the Athletes' Village and is in the south of Tokyo, right by the water.

For more information on what BMX Race is, click here.

Competing for Australia in the women's race will be Saya Sakakibara and Lauren Reynolds. Saya will be heading to her first Olympic Games at the age of 21 and will be optimistic after taking out the Tokyo Test event in 2019 at the Ariake Urban Sports Park. Lauren will become the first Australian BMX rider to compete at three Olympics, finishing 15th in London 2012 and 11th in Rio 2016.

In the men's race, Anthony Dean will line up for his second Olympic Games after making the final in Rio 2016. Anthony has been a consistent competitor on the world stage, placing sixth in the last UCI BMX World Championships in 2019 and finishing second and fourth in the UCI BMX World Cup rounds in Australia last year.

Rider Profiles

Key Dates:

• BMX Race Quarter Finals - Thursday 29 July 11:00 – 13:00 AEST
• BMX Race Semi Finals & Finals – Friday 30 July 11:00 – 13:20 AEST

BMX FREESTYLE

BMX Freestyle will make its Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020 at the Ariake Urban Sports Park. The event will take place at the same location as the BMX Racing and Skateboarding, right on the water in Ariake.

For more information on what BMX Freestyle is, click here.

Logan Martin and Natalya Diehm will make history as Australia's first Olympic BMX Freestylers when the discipline makes its Games debut in Tokyo. Logan will be heading to his first Olympic games as a world champion after taking out the UCI BMX Freestyle World Championships in France in June. Natayla took out the AusCycling BMX Freestyle National Championships earlier this year and sits in the top ten in the world ahead of Tokyo.

Rider Profiles

Key Dates:

• BMX Freestyle Seeding Events - Saturday 31 July 11:10 – 13:20 AEST
• BMX Freestyle Finals – Sunday 1 August 11:10 – 13:50 AEST

TRACK CYCLING

At the Tokyo Olympic Games, six different track cycling events – the Sprint, Keirin, Madison, Team Sprint, Team Pursuit, and Omnium – will be contested for both men and women.

The Track Cycling competition will be held at the Izu Velodrome located in Izu City, Shizuoka Prefecture, 120km southwest of Tokyo.

For more information on what Track Cycling is, click here.

Australia will be represented by 14 track cyclists at the Games, including six Olympic debuts, seven who will contest their second Games, while Annette Edmondson and Matthew Glaetzer return for their third time.

Triple Olympian Matthew Glaetzer, Nathan Hart and Matthew Richardson will form the men's team sprint outfit and make up Australia's entries into the individual sprint and keirin. In addition, 2012 Olympic team sprint bronze medalist Kaarle McCulloch will compete in the individual sprint and keirin.

Fellow 2012 Olympic medalist Edmondson will be joined by Ashlee Ankudinoff, Georgia Baker, Maeve Plouffe, and Alexandra Manly in the women's track endurance squad.

2016 Olympian Sam Welsford leads four Games newcomers in Leigh Howard, Kelland O'Brien, Lucas Plapp, Alex Porter in the men's endurance squad.

The final entrants for the Team Pursuit, Madison and Omnium will be announced closer to competition.

Rider Profiles

Key Dates

Monday 2 August 16:30 - 19:30

• Women's Team Sprint Qualifying & Finals
• Women's Team Pursuit Qualifying
• Men's Team Pursuit Qualifying

Tuesday 3 August 16:30 - 19:10

• Women's Team Pursuit First Round & Finals

• Men's Team Pursuit First Round
• Men's Team Sprint Qualifying & Finals

Wednesday 4 August 16:30 – 20.00

• Men's Sprint Qualifying & Rounds
• Women's Keirin First Round

• Men's Team Pursuit Finals

Thursday 5 August 16:30 - 19:50

• Men's Omnium Final: Scratch Race, Tempo Race, Elimination Race, & Points Race
• Men's Sprint 1/8 Finals, Quarterfinals, & Finals
• Women's Keirin Quarterfinals, Semifinals, & Finals

Friday 6 August 16:30 - 20:15

• Women's Sprint Qualifying & Rounds
• Men's Sprint Semifinals & Finals
• Women's Madison Finals

Saturday 7 August 16:30 - 19:25

• Women's Sprint 1/8 Finals & Quarterfinals
• Men's Keirin First Round
• Men's Madison Final

Sunday 8 August 11.00 - 14.15

• Women's Omnium Final: Scratch Race, Tempo Race, Elimination Race, & Points Race

• Women's Sprint Semifinals & Finals
• Men's Keirin Quarterfinals, Semifinals, & Finals

WATCH LIVE ON CHANNEL 7

Catch all the Cycling from the Tokyo Olympic Games on Seven and 7plus: Live, Free and Streaming in HD at the 7plus Olympic Hub at https://7plus.com.au/olympics

BMX rider Anthony Dean was today selected to the Australian Olympic Team for Tokyo.

The 30-year-old South Australian returns for his second Olympics, after his Rio Olympic debut where he finished eighth.

"I cannot wait!" Dean said. "I am so excited for the opportunity."

"In 2016 I won every lap in the semi-finals but fell short in final with a DNF. I now have the opportunity to get my Olympic redemption from Rio."

Dean's selection finalised the Australian Olympic Cycling Team for Tokyo, featuring 29 athletes across BMX Racing, BMX Freestyle, Mountain Bike, Track and Road disciplines.

BMX Racing will run from 29-30 July and BMX Freestyle from 31 July-1 August both at Ariake Urban Sports Park. 

Australian Olympic Team for Tokyo - BMX

Natalya Diehm
BMX Freestyle

Logan Martin
BMX Freestyle

Anthony Dean
BMX Racing

Saya Sakakibara
BMX Racing

Lauren Reynolds
BMX Racing

​The Australian Olympic Committee has named six riders to compete for the Australian Olympic Team in Tokyo in BMX and Mountain Bike, loaded with Australian Olympic firsts.

Daniel McConnell becomes the first Australian to make four Olympic Teams in Mountain Bike, Rebecca McConnell the first Australian women to make three Games in Mountain Bike, and Lauren Reynolds the first Australian BMX rider to make three Olympics.

Logan Martin and Natalya Diehm will make history as Australia’s first Olympic BMX Freestylers when the discipline makes its Games debut in Tokyo.

Olympic debutant Japanese-born Australian rider Saya Sakakibara completes the women’s BMX racing team for Tokyo.

In May, the Australian Olympic Committee announced nine road cyclists and an additional track endurance rider to join the track team who were selected March 2020.

Boasting the current BMX Freestyle World Champion Logan Martin, World Cup and World Championship medallists in Saya Sakakibara and Rebecca McConnell, the team is full of world class talent.

Sakakibara said making a Games in the country she was born in was a dream come true.

“To be honest, it feels so surreal,” Sakakibara said. “It’s been a dream since I was a little girl to go to the Olympics - to actually reach that goal is amazing.

“The story doesn't end here though - I've made my first Olympic team selection, but the journey starts here.

“My family have been true supporters for me. And they really believe that I could be in this position and that they really believe that I would be going to the Olympics this year. They’re just really thrilled to know and hear that it's actually official, and it's all happening.

“My biggest goal for the Games is to be at the start gate, and know that I've done absolutely everything that I can to get to where I am. So when I'm at that gate, all I have to do is just trust everything that I've done, and enjoy it.”

Logan Martin celebrated his official selection from hotel quarantine after returning from claiming the World Championship title in Montpellier.

“I’m extremely stoked to not only be selected on the Australian team for the Tokyo Olympic Games, but also to be the first Australian ever to be going to the Olympics for Freestyle BMX, that’s massive!” Martin said. “I set this goal four years ago, with 100% confidence I would make it and it’s finally coming to fruition.”

“Becoming the World Champion for the second time is really something special. To do it just a month out from the Olympics was perfect for my selection onto the team. I knew this Worlds was a make or break event but I didn’t let that pressure get to me, I just wanted to show everyone the work I had been putting in throughout the past year and a half.

“My goal is to always do MY best. I know my best will be a big contender for a gold medal so I always try to focus on that leading into events and it will be the same heading into Tokyo.”

Australian Cycling Performance Director Simon Jones welcomed today’s announcement.

“I want to take this opportunity to congratulate all riders on their selection, and all riders who have been part of the process through to selection,” Jones said. “I’m proud of the riders who will be representing Australia in Tokyo, and we are very excited to see how everyone in the team meets the challenge of what’s likely to be a unique Games experience.”

“The selection process never gets easier and that’s because we have a strong and competitive team. Due to COVID, these athletes have been working for this selection for the past five years and there are a limited number of places on the team – we know Olympic selection means everything.”

Today’s Selected athletes join 22 track and road riders bound for Tokyo, and brings the total number of selected athletes to 232 of an expected 450-480 Australian Olympic Team size for Tokyo.

The men’s BMX Racing discipline is subject to an appeal by a non-nominated athlete, with selection to be announced when the process is finalised.

It was ecstasy and agony for Australia at the 2021 UCI BMX Freestyle World Championships in France on Monday, with Logan Martin (Gold Coast, QLD) celebrating a second world title in four years while a knee injury sadly ended reigning world champion Brandon Loupos’ (Sydney, NSW) title defense.  

"It feels amazing. I came out here and wanted to pull a good ride and take the win," said Martin, who claimed the inaugural world title in 2017. "That is two times now, and I am super stoked. I am speechless." 

How it unfolded 

Twelve riders took to the Montpellier BMX Freestyle Park for the 2021 World Championships final, with Australia featuring four riders in Logan Martin (Gold Coast, QLD), Brandon Loupos (Sydney, NSW), Josh Matthews (Gold Coast, QLD) and Jaie Toohey (Gold Coast, QLD).  

BMX Freestyle Park, which will make its Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020, is an adrenaline-fueled mix of tricks and jumps over a series of ramps and obstacles. Athletes complete two one-minute runs each, with judges scoring on difficulty, originality, style, flow, risk, height and execution of tricks. The riders are ranked by the best score from their two runs.  

The start of the final was delayed for 45 minutes following the crash of a rider in training which would, unfortunately, set the tone for what turned out to be a crashed-marred final.  

Brandon Loupos (Sydney, NSW) was the first rider to take to course, with the 2019 world champion looking strong with a host of scorching tricks early in his first one-minute run. However, heartbreak followed when his foot slipped on the pedal, which sent the Sydney rider crashing to the floor. 

Clutching his right knee, Loupos was quickly stretchered off by event medical staff. Despite a brave second attempt at completing his opening run less than ten minutes later, still visibly in pain, Loupos retired just moments into his second run. His first run score of 39points placed him eleventh overall. 

2017 world champion Logan Martin (Gold Coast, QLD) stunned with an array of tricks in his opening one-minute run to rocket to the top of the standings with a score of 94.90points. In his second run, Martin chose fewer but more challenging tricks, with his near-flawless run judged to a score of 93.30points. 

Martin celebrated his victory in the Team Australia pits after watching the final two riders fall short of bettering Martin's opening run score of 94.90points.  Daniel Sandoval (USA) won silver, while Marin Rantes (Croatia) took bronze.  

The Championships was Martin's first international competition in over twelve months after spending the last 15 months in Australia, where he claimed the 2021 national crown in March.  

"While we have had a year and a half off, we have all put in so much hard work and the competition has stepped up so much," said Martin, 27. "The last year never really slowed down for me. I just rode as much as I could, stayed focus all the way up to this event. It has paid off today. It is such a good feeling.  

"The competition was tough out there today, I did just want to do my run, I had a good run planned. While I didn't do what I wanted to do completely, I still got a high score and next time, hopefully I will pull out the one I want to get done." 

"Going into this event we were trying to top America. But I came here just trying to do my best, I knew I had done all the work, and it all paid off today." ​

Matthews and Toohey impressed from the opening day while on their World Championships debut, finishing sixth and tenth, respectively.  

Matthews scored 74.40points in his first run and lifted in his second run to score 85.70points. Toohey crashed seconds into his first run but recovered to make a stunning comeback in his second run, which saw him attract a finals best score of 60.60points despite hitting the deck late.  

Team Australia will head fly out of France tomorrow and back to Australia to complete two weeks of hotel quarantine before resuming training on the Gold Coast. 

The BMX Freestyle selections to the Australian Olympic Team will be announced later in June.  

Final Results Elite Men

• 1. Logan Martin (AUS) 

• 2. Daniel Sandoval (USA)  

• 3. Marin Rantes (CRO)  

• 4. Justin Dowell (USA)  

• 5. Nick Bruce (USA) 

• 6. Josh Matthews (AUS)  
• 10. Jaie Toohey (AUS) 
• 11 Brandon Loupos (AUS)  

Complete Results ​

Team Australia has arrived in France ahead of the 2021 UCI BMX Freestyle World Championships, to be held in Montpellier from 4-8 June 2021.   

Reigning world champion Brandon Loupos (Sydney, NSW), 2017 world champion Logan Martin (Gold Coast, QLD), Josh Matthews (Gold Coast, QLD) and Jaie Toohey (Gold Coast, QLD) arrived on Wednesday.

The Championships provide the final opportunity for nations to qualify points towards positions in the BMX Freestyle competition at the Tokyo Olympic Games.

The nation that finishes on top of the Men's BMX Freestyle UCI Olympic Qualification Rankings at the end of the qualification period will secure two male athlete positions at the Tokyo Olympic Games. 

With Australia and the USA currently tied on points at the top of the rankings, Australia needs to contest the World Championships in order to stay in contention for top spot. 

One of the most popular disciplines of cycling, BMX Freestyle 'Park' is defined by aerial tricks made possible by the shape of the course and the speed of the riders.

If the technicality of the tricks is very important in the scoring process, other criteria such as the use of the whole Park and the originality of the lines chosen make it possible to judge this discipline.

The Men's Finals will take place from midnight Australian EST on Tuesday 8 June.

Complete Program

Brandon Loupos - 2019 World Champion

I'm really looking forward to going back to defend my rainbow jersey.

It (the rainbow jersey) means everything to me, really.  I feel like I can go do my my normal routine that I do every day and go in with the rainbows, but at the same time, it's something that I'm not going to try and over achieve for it. I'm going to let it come to me. Because as long as I do my best performance, I know it's in the package.

To have no competitions for way over a year has been really, really disappointing for a lot of us. So finally have something to connect that warm up to the Olympics is awesome.

The BMX world is such a friendly community, regardless what country you're from, we're all one big happy family,, so it's gonna be really hard for all of us to be together after not seeing each other for nearly two years, and go within six feet of each other, or metre and a half. And, and, you know, stay within a distance of each other.

Logan Martin - 2017 World Champion

I'm super excited (to be off to Worlds) after a year and a half with no international contests. The last year and a half I've actually been putting in a lot of work, even though it was essentially downtime and staying home a lot. So I'm excited to go and put on a show and compete with my friends again.

We've just been training and working to the Olympics, we had a massive block, like a massive training block. But I found motivation to perfect old tricks, learn new tricks, and just keep on pushing.

It is super cool that the first event back we are traveling as a team, it is a World Championship. Our main focus going into the World Championships is to beat America as myself and Brandon need to do better than America so we can qualify Australia in the top spot and take take two riders to Tokyo.

I just want to go and plan out a good run and pull it and execute it to a high standard. And there was the results will, you know, the results will work out the way they work out. But I just want to go and do my best.

In the women's UCI Olympic Qualification Rankings, Australia is currently in position to secure one place at the Games. Regardless of whether Australia contests the World Championships, Australia's position on the rankings is unlikely to change, therefore Natalya Diehm will not travel to the World Championships in line with AusCycling's position statement on international competition activities. 

Australian National Team for 2021 BMX World Championships

• Logan Martin (Gold Coast, QLD) - 2017 world champion  
• Brandon Loupos (Sydney, NSW) - 2019 world champion 
• Josh Matthews (Gold Coast, QLD)   
• Jaie Toohey (Gold Coast, QLD) 

 
#AusCyclingTeam

• australiancyclingteam.com 
• www.facebook.com/AustralianCyclingTeam
• instagram.com/australiancyclingteam
• twitter.com/AusCyclingTeam​​

The 2021 BMX Freestyle National Championships at Melbourne’s Rampfest Indoor Skatepark on Sunday delivered a high-octane event with world champions, Olympic hopefuls and a record entrant list across junior, elite and masters categories, energising the packed crowd!

WOMEN’S Diehm overcomes wrist fracture to defend title

PODIUM

• GOLD Natalya Diehm
• SILVER Sophie Hildebrand

World number six Natalya Diehm defended her title with a stylish and courageous display.

After suffering a broken wrist in training in February, Diehm was initially ruled out of the Championships. However, she received medical clearance on Thursday after arriving in Melbourne just forty-eight hours before the final.

After hosting a come and try clinic with the next generation of Australia’s BMX Freestylers, Diehm rode to gold while unable to perform at 100% and with a borrowed bike and helmet.

Quotes - Natalya Diehm

“I’m so happy I could actually ride even with a hand injury, just coming off a broken hand. I’m super excited to defend my title.”

“It wasn’t until the flight here that I got medical clearance for the ride, so I didn’t have my bike or my helmet, it was all borrowed, but I did my best and got the gold.”

“All a part of the journey, I’m super excited, can’t wait to get back to 100% and give it my best.”

MEN’S World champion tussle as Martin claims third straight

PODIUM

• GOLD Logan Martin
• SILVER Brandon Loupos
• BRONZE Joshua Matthews

2017 world champion Logan Martin claimed the green and gold national champion’s jersey for a record third time.

Martin’s experience was too good on the day, topping qualifying on the Saturday before delivering two spectacular one-minute runs in Sunday’s final.

Martin’s best score of his two runs was 93-points which gave him the crown, three points ahead of reigning world champion Brandon Loupos (90pts), with Joshua Matthews (87pts) rounding out the podium in bronze.

Quotes - Logan Martin

“It feels amazing to pull on the green and gold (jersey). I was going for the three-peat today, that’s the goal I had set out, to take home another gold. To be Australian champion three times in a row is amazing.

“I’m super stoked on the runs I pulled, pretty much did everything I had planned, one or two things in each run I had to sacrifice, but for the most part that was what I had planned.

“The standard of riding is really going through the roof. The progression rate on BMX Freestyle in Australia is amazing right now. We had an amazing turn out as well, especially after having the year we’ve had with minimal events. To see everyone get behind the 2021 Nationals is amazing.

“Amazing to be back out there after a year of training, we were at home trying to better ourselves to go to the next event and not to have many events over the last year was difficult. It’s really good to get out there and do what we have been practising in the last year.

Melbourne's Rampfest will host Australia's best riders for the 2021 BMX Freestyle National Championships this weekend, including a trio with their sights on the Tokyo Olympic Games.

The 2021 AusCycling BMX Freestyle National Championships is open for riders of any age or skill level with national titles and rankings on offer for male and females in Juniors Under 15; Amateur 15 & Over, Master 30 + and Pro/Elite categories.

What is BMX Freestyle?

BMX Freestyle sees riders perform a series of tricks during a '1-minute run' across a ramp-filled course, where tricks are judged based on difficulty, originality, style and execution.

BMX Freestyle will make its debut on the Olympic Games program in Tokyo later this year.

Riders to watch at Nationals

The 2020 AusCycling BMX Rider of the Year Loupos will sport the rainbow jersey as reigning world champion, while the 2017 world champion Martin will be aiming to defend his national crown.

World number six and current national champion Natalya Diehm suffered a broken wrist in training last month, and while originally ruled out of the competition, she has been cleared to ride. 

Event Snapshot
​
2021 AusCycling BMX Freestyle National Championships

​Saturday

9am - 12pm - Open Practice (for all competitors)
12pm - 1pm - Am Practice
1pm - 2:30pm - Am Qualifying
2:30pm - 3:30pm - Pro Practice
3:30pm - 5:30pm - Pro Qualifying

Sunday

9am - 11am - Junior & Masters Practice
11am - 12pm - Junior Competition
12pm - 1pm - Masters Competition
1:15pm - 2pm - Am Finals Practice
2pm - 3pm - Am Finals
3:15pm - 4pm - Pro Finals Practice
4pm - 5:30pm - Pro Finals
6pm - Presentations

Rampfest Indoor Skatepark - 47 Hillary St, Braybrook, Melbourne​

AusCycling is pleased to confirm the athletes who will receive memberships to the Australian Cycling Team for 2021

Significantly, the 2021 memberships are the first to be announced under the banner of AusCycling. Formed in November 2020, AusCycling represents all cycling disciplines and riders throughout Australia from club, recreational and commuter riders through to the Australian Cycling Team.

Memberships to the Team are limited and are only provided to athletes who have achieved, or have the potential to achieve, success at the highest level with 65 athletes confirmed across the disciplines of BMX Freestyle (3), BMX Racing (4), Mountain Bike Cross Country (1), Para-cycling (15), Road (13), Track Sprint and Endurance (15), and Podium Potential Academy (14).

Athletes are categorised as Podium, Podium Ready and Podium Potential based on their current level of performance, and their future potential to achieve Podium Performances in Olympic events at major championships. Support for the athletes varies according to the discipline. About the Australian Cycling Team Pathway.
Memberships are reviewed annually following the pinnacle event for the year, which for 2020 was to be the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games. With the COVID-19 Pandemic causing significant disruptions and cancellations to the 2020 sporting calendar, the pinnacle event for 2021 will be the rescheduled Tokyo Games.

The Podium Potential Academy, now into its third year of operation, will focus on the long-term development of Track Sprint and Endurance athletes and success at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, the 2024 Olympic Games and beyond.

Also underpinning the Team is the national High-Performance Network of state institutes and academies which play a vital role in the athlete pathway by identifying and supporting a further crop of nearly 100 categorised Emerging and Developing athletes across Australia.

Simon Jones - Performance Director, Australian Cycling Team

"I want to take this opportunity to congratulate the selected athletes, as places in the Australian Cycling Team are limited and this often means making hard decisions. To the athletes not selected, we encourage you to keep pushing and be ready for opportunities as we do review the memberships annually."

"2020 showed us that we must take our opportunities when we can, to be agile, to be resilient, and that change is a certainty. While 2021 is likely to be very similar, we remain optimistic about the future."

"Looking ahead, 2022 will be very exciting as we will have a home Road World Championships in Wollongong and the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. Then in 2023, the first World Championships of cycling that integrates all disciplines of Para-cycling, BMX, Road, MTB and Track into a festival of cycling over two weeks."

About the Australian Cycling Team

The Australian Cycling Team (ACT) comprises athletes, coaches and performance support staff in Olympic and Paralympic cycling disciplines, underpinned by Australia's State and Territory High-Performance Network. Principal partners include the Australian Institute of Sport and Santini.

The ACT is part of AusCycling, the peak body for cycling in Australia. AusCycling is affiliated with the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and partners with the Australian Olympic Committee; Commonwealth Games Australia and Paralympics Australia.

A full list of partners and supporters can be found here.

Athlete Memberships 2020/2021

BMX Racing - Agreement Period: 1 May 2020 - 30 April 2021                               
Lauren Reynolds            WA           Podium Ready 
Anthony Dean                 SA            Podium Ready 
Saya Sakakibara            NSW        Podium Ready 
Isaac Kennedy                QLD         Podium Potential 
                                   
BMX Freestyle - Agreement Period: 1 December 2020 - 30 November 2021                         
Logan Martin                 QLD         Podium 
Brandon Loupos             NSW        Podium 
Natalya Diehm               QLD         Podium Potential 
                                   
MTB Cross-country - Agreement Period: 1 January 2021 - 31 July 2021                          
Rebecca McConnell               ACT          Podium 
                                   
Para-cycling - Agreement Period:  1 April 2020 - 31 March 2021                         
Carol Cooke (Road)                      VIC           Podium 
Alistair Donohoe (Road/Track)     VIC           Podium 
David Nicholas (Track/Road)       QLD          Podium 
Stuart Tripp (Road)                       VIC           Podium Ready 
Amanda Reid (Track)                    NSW         Podium 
Hannah Macdougall (Road)           VIC           Podium 
Grant Allen (Road)                         SA            Podium Ready 
Paige Greco (Track/Road)             SA            Podium 
Darren Hicks (Road/Track)           SA            Podium 
Meg Lemon (Road/Track)             SA             Podium 
Emily Petricola (Track/Road)       VIC           Podium 
Emilie Miller (Road)                      NSW        Podium 
Gordon Allan (Track)                    NSW        Podium  
Stuart Jones (Road)                      NSW        Podium 
Kaitlyn Schurmann (Road)           VIC           Podium 
                                   
Women's Road - Agreement Period: 1 January - 31 December 2021                        
Amanda Spratt        NSW         Podium 
Brodie Chapman     VIC           Podium Ready 
Grace Brown           VIC           Podium Ready 
Sarah Roy               NSW         Podium Ready 
Chloe Hosking        ACT          Podium Ready 
Lucy Kennedy         QLD          Podium Ready 
Sarah Gigante        VIC           Podium Potential 
                                   
Men's Road - Agreement Period: 1 January - 31 December 2021                        
Rohan Dennis                  SA            Podium 
Michael Matthews          ACT          Podium 
Caleb Ewan                     NSW         Podium Ready 
Jack Haig                        VIC           Podium Ready 
Simon Clarke                  VIC           Podium Ready 
Richie Porte                    TAS          Podium Ready 
                                   
Women's Track Endurance - Agreement Period: 1 May 2020 - 30 April 2021                               
Ashlee Ankudinoff             NSW        Podium 
Georgia Baker                   TAS          Podium 
Annette Edmondson          SA            Podium 
Alexandra Manly               SA            Podium 
Maeve Plouffe                  SA            Podium 
                                   
Men's Track Endurance - Agreement Period: 1 May 2020 - 30 April 2021                               
Cameron Meyer              WA           Podium 
Kelland O'Brien               VIC           Podium 
Alexander Porter             SA            Podium 
Leigh Howard                  VIC           Podium 
Samuel Welsford             WA           Podium 
Lucas Plapp                    VIC           Podium 
                                   
Women's Track Sprint  - Agreement Period: 1 May 2020 - 30 April 2021                               
Kaarle McCulloch              NSW        Podium 
                                   
Men's Track Sprint - Agreement Period: 1 May 2020 - 30 April 2021                               
Matthew Glaetzer             SA            Podium 
Nathan Hart                      ACT          Podium 
Matthew Richardson        WA           Podium 
                                   
Podium Potential Academy  - Agreement Period: 1 December 2020 - 30 November 2021                         
Alexandra Martin-Wallace   QLD        Podium Potential  
Sophie Edwards                   SA           Podium Potential  
Ruby Roseman-Gannon      VIC          Podium Potential  
Lauren Perry                       TAS          Podium Potential  
Chloe Moran                       SA             Podium Potential  
Conor Leahy                       WA           Podium Potential  
Joshua Duffy                      TAS          Podium Potential  
Graeme Frislie                  VIC           Podium Potential  
James Moriarty                 QLD         Podium Potential  
Jensen Plowright              VIC          Podium Potential  
James Brister                   SA            Podium Potential  
Tom Cornish                    NSW         Podium Potential  
Leigh Hoffman                 SA            Podium Potential  
Kristina Clonan                QLD         Podium Potential  

​The Australian Cycling Team is pleased to announce the BMX Freestyle Athlete Memberships for 2020/2021. 

The three athletes who will receive memberships are reigning world champion Brandon Loupos, 2017 world champion Logan Martin, and women's world number six Natalya Diehm. 

Sydney's Brandon Loupos enjoyed a stunning 2019 season highlighted by winning his maiden rainbow jersey, in addition to recording the highest score ever recorded at a World Cup.  Brandon won the highest prize purse in BMX Freestyle at the Japan event early 2020. 

Gold Coast's Logan Martin, dual 2019 X Games gold and Urban Games gold, a two-time FISE World Series champion (2015 and 2016), claimed the inaugural BMX Freestyle world title at the 2017 UCI Urban World Championships before taking silver behind Loupos in 2019.   

After turning pro in 2018, Brisbane's Diehm has enjoyed a rapid rise, firstly winning the 2019 Vans BMX Pro Cup which featured events in the USA, Australia, Germany and Mexico before finishing sixth during her Australian Team debut at the 2019 Urban World Championships. In 2019, she also added an Oceania and National title to her resume.  

With the 2020 season cancelled due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the trio returned to Australia where they continue to prepare for the Tokyo Olympic Games at the newly built BMX Freestyle Indoor Training Facility on the Gold Coast. 

The trio will contest the 2021 AusCycling BMX Freestyle National Championships to be held at Beenleigh in Brisbane on December 12 where Martin and Diehm will aim to defend their titles. 
​
Australian Cycling Team BMX Freestyle Athlete Memberships 2020/2021 

• Brandon Loupos, 27, NSW, Podium 
• Logan Martin, 27, QLD, Podium 
• Natalya Diehm, 23, QLD, Podium Ready 

​As COVID-19 continues to alter how Australian Cycling Team athletes train and prepare for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, Cycling Australia (CA) has committed to a new BMX Freestyle Indoor Training Facility in Australia. 
 
Earlier in 2020, COVID-19 restrictions forced the closure of two of Queensland’s indoor skate parks, which also formed part of the daily training environment base for the Australian Cycling Team’s BMX Freestyle athletes.
 
With the athletes left with no facility at which to train, Australian Cycling Team staff and athletes held discussions to determine how to best support Tokyo 2020 preparations. 
 
Australia’s reigning world champion in Brandon Loupos, 2017 world champion Logan Martin, and women’s world number six in Natalya Diehm put their support behind a facility proposal.
 
In August, access to a warehouse on the Gold Coast was secured and in September, several team staff and athletes set to work with lead park builder Jason Watts from Universal Ramps on building the indoor training facility. 
 
The facility includes ramps, walls, transitions and quarter pipes up to ten feet, with protective matting and foam pits in both directions allowing riders to advance and develop new tricks in a safe environment.

​
Australian Cycling Team BMX Technical Director Wade Bootes is ecstatic that Australia’s athletes now have access to a world-class facility with leading nations such as Japan, Russia, USA and France already boasting Freestyle training centres. 
 
“Our training facility is a learning centre to create an environment to support the athletes in a safe and controlled way as they prepare for the Tokyo Games in 2021,” said Bootes. “The park layout was designed to also enhance the riders conditioning with continued eccentric and concentric movement patterns due to the pumping action back to back.  
 
“The ramps were designed to cater towards various lines between left and right at competition size and transitions to mimic international courses. 
 
“Having the Freestyle Australian Cycling Team all now living on the Gold Coast with the support of Cycling Australia, this facility will make for some banger sessions for their progression.”

2020 has been a challenging year for everyone and circumstances have made it even more important for us all to stay connected and be willing to support those around us.

Cycling Australia encourages all coaches, athletes and our cycling community to take time on Thursday 10 September to reflect on R U OK? Day and how we each make time in our relationships for asking R U OK? and remember, there is more to say after R U OK?

Australian Cycling Team staff and athletes will gather together on Thursday 10 September for a morning tea and walk two laps of the Adelaide Superdrome to highlight R U OK? Day and the importance of creating space for conversations.

#RUOKDay is on Thursday 10 September and is a reminder that a conversation could change a life. This year we are learning what to say after R U OK? so we can keep the conversation going when someone says “No, I’m not OK”. Resources are available at www.ruok.org.au

#RUOK is an important question but there’s more to say after R U OK? If someone says they’re not OK, make time to listen, encourage action and check-in. That conversation could change, or even save, their life.

You don’t have to be an expert to keep the conversation going when someone says they’re not OK. By knowing what to say you can help someone feel supported and access appropriate help long before they’re in crisis, which can make a really positive difference to their life

More on R U OK? 

People are also encouraged to learn what to say after R U OK? and download R U OK? resources from ruok.org.au for tips and ideas to help them share the message in their community.

Useful contacts for someone who is not OK - Encourage them to talk to a trusted health professional or call on these Australian crisis lines and professionals:
​

• Lifeline (24/7) 13 11 14 lifeline.org.au
• Suicide Call Back Service (24/7) 1300 659 467 suicidecallbackservice.org.au
• Beyond Blue (24/7) 1300 224 636 beyondblue.org.au
• Kids Helpline (24/7) 1800 55 1800 kidshelpline.com.au 

​The Australian Cycling team is participating in R U OK? Day with support from AIS; and the Podium Potential Academy is proudly supported by Commonwealth Games Australia.

Saturday 15 August | 189 days since the crash | 136 days in rehabilitation

It has been some time since the last update and many people have been asking how Kai is doing. We’re super pleased to report that Kai continues to make strong progress in all aspects of his rehabilitation.

It’s Saturday 15 August today and we have just passed two key milestones. The first of these was 29 July which is Kai’s 24th birthday, this is highly significant because there was a time when we were not sure he would see his next birthday at all. The second important date was 8 August — exactly six months since Kai had his crash. In some ways, it feels like an eternity since the crash because of the intensity of what has been going on but it also feels like time has gone so quickly.  Either way, it is good to sit down and reflect on how the past four months in rehabilitation have been.

The last update we made was in April two weeks after Kai had arrived at BIRU (Brain Injury Rehabilitation Unit). The first few weeks Kai was there were pretty tough for us emotionally as we adjusted to the new setting. However, it was really good to finally have Kai in a place focussed on his rehabilitation and to be actively starting on his recovery.

It was at this point we were able to understand a little more about Kai’s injury and the impact it has had. As a result of his crash, Kai suffered serious bleeding deep inside the left-hand side of his brain, this created extensive stress and damage in some areas. Doctors called it a TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury). Specifically, Kai lost the ability to move the right side of his body (leg, arm, face), he was not able to speak; he could not make any sounds at all. As things progressed it became evident Kai could not find the right words and had severe short term memory challenges. Kai also forgot how to do basic things like cleaning his teeth — so has needed to re-learn everything again from zero. Furthermore, Kai lost 20kg in weight while in Canberra ICU and was so weak he could not sit or even hold up his head.

So there was a big list of things to work on……

Rehabilitation for Kai has been focussed in a number of key areas: Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy, Diversional Therapy, Psychology and Social Work.

As Kai became stronger his schedule became a lot more intense. Initially, he was only doing a few hours a day and he was so tired he needed to rest at lunchtime for a couple of hours. Over time he began to put on weight and was able to do better with his exercises.

We began to notice improvements in all areas, communication improved a little, he became stronger and he started to gain some movement in his right leg. The physiotherapists focussed their attention on his leg and 14 weeks after the crash Kai was finally able to stand-up for the first time with assistance. This was a major step for us and it gave us hope that he might be able to walk again.

As Kai was doing his best to recover the BMX and broader community were all doing some amazing things to provide him with assistance. Sam and Alise Willoughby started the “77 for 77” initiative which spread like wildfire and was a lot of fun. Sam started by doing 77 bench presses with 77kg, Alise did the same with 77lbs. They then threw out the challenge and suddenly everyone was doing 77 somethings for 77. Simply amazing.

It was around this time that Matt Carmichael from Channel 7 contacted us to do a news story on Kai and if you haven’t seen it, the link is here. Matt did a really nice job of telling Kai’s story. 

Kai’s approach to rehabilitation has been the same as his approach to training, he simply wants to ensure everything within his control is done to the best of his ability. The therapists have been super impressed with Kai’s strength and determination:

• … shows 110% commitment to physio on a daily basis. His immense focus and countless hours in the gym are helping him smash his goals (Physiotherapy)
• … is working very hard to regain his independence in many of his day to day activities, His perseverance with his recovery is something to be admired (Occupational Therapy)
• … is extremely motivated in his approach to therapy, both within and outside of our sessions. His positive attitude and work ethic are very impressive (Speech Therapy)

In the meantime, in typical Kai manner, he would turn to us at the end of the day and say “I’m really not sure if I am doing enough to get better”………

Four months after the crash Kai was finally able to start coming home for weekends, this was another major step for us all. He was really pleased to come back and have some home cooking, it also meant he could have visits from friends who he has not seen for some time. Kai comes home on Friday afternoons and we take him back to the rehabilitation unit on Sunday evenings so he can be ready to start rehabilitation on Monday first thing.

Having Kai at home on the weekends means he is able to work closely again with Saya. A few weeks ago he was able to watch her sprint training and help with the timing. The relationship Kai and Saya have is very special which is not surprising given the amount of time they spent together travelling the world doing BMX. Zwift Japan and First Track Athlete Management Company assisted Saya with a Zwift charity ride for Kai. The event was live-streamed on Instagram and bike riders from all over the world participated. Kai was in our garage while Saya was doing this and was really pleased to be involved.

As a family, we’re supporting Kai in whatever way we can. One of us goes to the rehabilitation unit to assist with his therapies every day. We give him extra exercises, take him out for coffee, help with his stretches and generally make sure he has what he needs. The rehabilitation unit is doing a great job but sometimes things slip through the cracks and we are there to pick these up. As time progresses we’re seeing Kai can do a lot more by himself and we can back-off a little.

Recently Kai has started playing table tennis. As you can imagine this is difficult sitting in a wheelchair and using his left hand but he is improving. We’ve been trying to work on how many times we can get the ball over the net. The first time we were only able to manage 5 times but this soon increased to 30, then we made 102 and this continued to increase. Last week he managed 284 with his Physiotherapist which was amazing and we have now set a target of 500. Kai loves the challenge and it’s great to be able to relax and have some fun.

The support Kai continues to receive is incredible and he tells us it really helps motivate him so please keep this going. Clubs are doing fundraisers, riders and friends are sending him messages on social media. Everywhere we look we can see #KaiFight77 stickers on helmets, car windows, bikes and other places. Last week the mother of a rider who Kai coached wrote and sang an amazing song about the challenges Kai is working through (look out for it on the #KaiFight77 Facebook page soon). We’re all so pleased he has not been forgotten.

Where is he now

• Speaking and communicating pretty well considering he could not say anything 4 months ago
• Moving most big muscles on his right leg
• Walking a little with assistance from people (it’s not pretty but it is happening)
• Moving his right shoulder and elbow a little
• Short term memory is improving

What’s next

• Continue working through rehabilitation
• Long process and we’re still not sure what the end game will look like.

Thank you so much to everyone who is with us on this journey.

One step at a time, one moment at a time … let’s go 

Regards,

Kai Sakakibara Family

In response to the current global COVID-19 pandemic, Cycling Australia (CA) wish to make public its current position on its international competition activities. 

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) currently advises there is a ban on overseas travel from Australia. Australian citizens cannot leave Australia without an exemption from DFAT.

Our primary concern is the health of our athletes and staff. As such, CA will not be conducting any national team campaigns or projects outside of Australia before 1 January 2021 with the following possible exceptions: 

1. CA’s position may be reconsidered for activities in New Zealand in the event there is a government-endorsed Trans-Tasman travel bubble.
2. CA’s position may be reconsidered for the 2020 UCI Road World Championships, the 2020 UCI MTB World Championships, the 2020 MTB Marathon World Championships, 2020 season Mountain Bike World Cups and remaining 2020 season BMX World Cups. 

When considering its position in relation to the above events, CA will consider a range of factors including but not limited to the most up-to-date DFAT position, the current COVID-19 position of the host country, information from the UCI and Event Organisers, and the ability of CA to appropriately provide for the health and safety of the team and the community.

In respect of the 2020 UCI Road World Championships, CA will continue to monitor the situation. CA will only consider selecting and endorsing entries for Elite riders. Riders in these categories wishing to be considered will need to have been based in Europe for a minimum of two (2) weeks prior to the date of the start of the competition in question. 

For the avoidance of doubt, CA will not enter any U19 (UCI Junior category) riders in any overseas events over which it has entry jurisdiction between now and 31 December 2020 (regardless of any potential exceptions listed above) and will not be selecting U23 riders for the 2020 UCI Road World Championships. 

Decisions in relation to mountain bike events will be reached in conjunction with MTBA. Decisions in relation to BMX events will be reached in conjunction with BMXA. 

​CA will continue to monitor the global situation and reserves the right to modify its approach to its activities as the situation develops over the next few months.

FISE is currently hosting first ever digital stage of FISE Montpellier which is taking place 100% online through August and September!
​
E-FISE Montpellier is a and innovative online experience, enabling fans and athletes and fans to connect online.  ​

Aussies Logan Martin and Natalya Diehm are in the running - check out their runs below. 

VISIT THE E-FISE PLATFORM FOR MORE INFO

http://e-fise.com/en/montpellie

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:  
​

• 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.

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.” ​

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.
​
Australian Cycling Team Athlete Membership 2020/2021 - Full list (PDF)

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

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.