Track Stars Go To Rio Chasing Paris Points

Paralympic and world champions feature heavily in Australia’s small but mighty team to contest the Para-Cycling Track World Championships in Brazil this week. 

The 13-rider squad is headed by Tokyo 2020 gold medallists Amanda Reid and Emily Petricola, who won the 500m Time Trial C1-3 and the Pursuit C4, respectively. David Nicholas returns to the velodrome where he won gold in the Individual Pursuit C3 at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.  

AusCycling Para Technical Director Warren McDonald said the event was a golden chance to see how some of the Australian Paralympic Team’s hottest Paris 2024 medal prospects were tracking just five months out from the Games. 

“This is a fantastic opportunity for our riders to challenge themselves against the world’s best for rainbow jerseys, podium results and valuable points towards Paris qualification,” McDonald said.  

“In the Tandem Team Sprint on Day 1, although not a Paralympic event, we’re hopeful the two pairs of Jess Gallagher and (pilot) Caitlin Ward and Kane Perris and (pilot) Luke Zaccaria can set the week up with a great start.” 

It will be Perris’s first world championships appearance. He is the younger brother of Paralympic athletics sprinter Chad Perris.  

Alana Forster, who won the Scratch Race C5 at the World Championships in Glasgow last year, and 500m Time Trial C4 bronze medallist Erin Rowell round out the women’s contingent.  

Among the men on the team are four-time Paralympic medallist in the C5 classification Alistair Donohoe, 2023 world championship bronze medallist in the Time Trial C2 Gordon Allan and silver medallist in the Time Trial C4 Michael Shippley.  

Korey Boddington will make his World Championship debut after claiming four titles at the National Championships last December. 

Competition starts on Wednesday. 

By: David Sygall, Paralympics Australia

Published: 19 March 2024