How Australia dominated at the Glasgow World Cycling Championships
The best international cyclists gathered in Glasgow for the 2023 World Cycling Championships, with more than 200 rainbow jerseys up for grabs over 11 days of racing.
Australia had 120 competitors across seven disciplines, all vying to become world champions in their respective events. And the result was impressive. The Aussies took home 34 medals: seven gold, 21 silver and eight bronze.
Here’s who starred:
TRACK
It all kicked off with the para-cyclists on the track. Jessica Gallagher and Caitlin Ward narrowly missed out on top spot, finishing second to Great Britian by just 0.060 seconds to claim silver in the B 1km time trial. The duo won a second silver in the women’s B sprint.
Darren Hicks also qualified second-fastest in the men’s C2 individual pursuit, setting an Australian record time of 3:33.186 in the process.
Paige Greco raced for the first time since a major crash in April to take bronze in the women’s C3 individual pursuit.
The second day of action saw our para-cyclists secure more silver medals on the track, with Michael Shippley finishing a close second to Great Britain’s Jody Cundy.
Young gun Kristina Clonan – in her second World Cycling Championships sprint appearance – claimed silver in the 500m time trial.
Two-time Paralympian Amanda Reid was the first Australian to become a 2023 world champion, beating her own world record and taking home gold in the C2 500m time trial. Reid also defended her C2 omnium title, claiming a second gold medal followed by silver in the C2 scratch race and bronze in the C2 individual pursuit.
Just 0.035 seconds separated first and second in the men’s elite team sprint, where Leigh Hoffman, Matthew Richardson, Matthew Glaetzer and Thomas Cornish set out to defend Australia’s team sprint rainbow jerseys. The Netherlands got the better of the Australians, securing gold by the thinnest of margins: just three one hundredths of a second.
On the fifth day on the boards Erin Rowell took bronze in the C4 500m time trial, while Gordon Allan also won bronze in the Men’s C2 1000m time trial.
August 7 was a double rainbow day on the track for Australia, with Emily Petricola becoming a four-time world champion in the C4 individual pursuit after nabbing gold by almost eight seconds. Alana Forster was also crowned world champion in the women’s C5 scratch race, going solo around the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome and keeping the bunch at bay.
Georgia Baker and Alexandra Manly fought hard on the same day to take silver in the madison after Manly hit the deck and shredded her skinsuit. Baker claimed her second silver medal in the points race the following day.
Matthew Glaetzer broke the Australian record in the men’s 1000m time trial on August 8, clocking 58.526 to take home silver, while Tom Cornish picked up his first individual medal to claim bronze in the same race.
The final track medal went to Matthew Richardson who took silver in the elite keirin.
BMX
Logan Martin secured his fourth career world championship medal, taking second spot in the elite BMX freestyle park.
In the junior BMX race Sienna Pal collected silver after crashing in the quarter final – an incident which nearly forced her out of the race.
ROAD
Three-time para-triathlon Lauren Parker won the H3 individual time trial – her world championship debut – claiming gold and the rainbow jersey. She enjoyed further success in the H3 road race, where she took silver to cap off an epic first appearance.
Felicity Wilson-Haffenden, who only began cycling in the past couple of years, became world champion in the junior individual time trial, winning by 16.59 seconds.
Another young gun, Oscar Chamberlain, also earned a rainbow jersey, winning the junior individual time trial by an impressive 24.78 seconds.
Darren Hicks took two silver medals on the road, one in the C2 individual time trial and the other in the C2 road race.
Continuing the success for the para-cyclists on the road were Emily Petricola and Alana Forster, who both took home silver medals. Petricola won silver medals in the C4 individual time trial and the C4 road race, with Forster prevailing in the C5 individual time trial.
Hamish McKenzie rode to victory in the under-23 individual time trial, a 36.2-km course where he clocked 43:51.25 to take bronze.
Santos Tour Down Under 2023 women’s race winner Grace Brown rode exceptionally to take silver place in the individual time trial, falling short of victory by just 5.67 seconds.
Paige Greco claimed her second Worlds medal, taking bronze in the C3 Road Race. Meg Lemon also won bronze in the C4 Road Race, capping off a stellar effort by Australia’s best cyclists.
OVERALL MEDALS
🥇 Amanda Reid (2), Emily Petricola (1), Alana Forster (1), Lauren Parker (1), Felicity Wilson-Haffenden (1), Oscar Chamberlain (1)
🥈 Darren Hicks (3), Jessica Gallagher and Caitlin Ward (2), Michael Shippley (1), Kristina Clonan (1), Amanda Reid (1), Leigh Hoffman, Matthew Richardson, Matthew Glaetzer and Thomas Cornish (1), Georgia Baker (2) and Alexandra Manly (1), Matthew Glaetzer (1), Matthew Richardson (1), Logan Martin (1), Sienna Pal (1), Lauren Parker (1), Emily Petricola (1), Alana Forster (1), Grace Brown (1), Paige Greco (1)
🥉 Paige Greco (2), Amanda Reid (1), Erin Rowell (1), Gordon Allan (1), Tom Cornish (1), Hamish McKenzie (1), Meg Lemon (1)
