Australia names 15-rider track team for the Tokyo Olympics despite grave fears the Games may not even go ahead
Australia’s track cycling team for the Tokyo Olympics includes three debutants aged 20 and under. But Alex Manly and Cameron Meyer – who have 11 world titles between them – have been overlooked.
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Cycling Australia has put the world’s current coronavirus crisis – which has infected even its own team – aside momentarily to name its 15 track riders for the Tokyo Olympics.
Despite uncertainty over whether the Games will even go ahead in July, Australia’s chef de mission Ian Chesterman said it was important to “set course” as if they were.
The major talking points of the track team, which was announced on Thursday, were:
THREE debutants who are aged 20 and under including sprinter Matthew Richardson (20), and team pursuiters Maeve Plouffe (20) and Lucas Plapp (19).
NO Cameron Meyer who was targeting the madison and or the omnium in Tokyo, but is now in limbo and must secure a spot on the road team to ride at the Games.
MATTHEW Glaetzer making the team after overcoming thyroid cancer late last year and missing the recent world championship with a calf injury.
TWO-TIME world champion and Commonwealth Games gold medallist Alex Manly being cut from the women’s team pursuit squad.
KAARLE McCulloch being named for her second Games after she rode in London in 2012, then missed selection for Rio, 2016, but persisted on towards Tokyo.
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Cycling has not been immune from the coronavirus pandemic, with one of its staffers testing positive to COVID-19 on Monday night less than two weeks after returning from the Berlin world titles.
But McCulloch, 32, who is the oldest member of the track team, said there was no such thing as a perfect preparation and athletes were dealing with the current situation as best they could.
“Nothing changes for me in terms of my application to my training but a lot is changing in the way we train,” she said.
“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 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.
“The dream I had when I was 12 watching the Sydney Olympics with my dad feels as real as yesterday.
“I’ve always had the Olympic spirit within me and I’m ecstatic to be able to be back competing.”
The team’s youngest member, Plapp, 19, fought back tears and his coach Tim Decker had to check he was still on the other end of the phone when he called to tell him he was on the team for Tokyo.
“It was a pretty special moment and I was just speechless,” Plapp said.
“After the Brisbane World Cup (last December) I really started to believe I could make this team.”
Plapp’s team pursuiters have a serious challenge on their hands after they watched Denmark take a massive four seconds off their world record at the world titles in Berlin.
The new benchmark is an incredible 3mins 44secs.
“Since being back you can feel the hunger and fire in the boys, training that bit harder and I think we are really determined to get back on the track and in five months’ time show the world what we are capable of,” Plapp said.
“It’s a bit of a different scenario being the hunters not the hunted.
“We’re training as if the Games are on and we fully expect that to be the case come August, we are making minor changes to make sure we get the most out of our bodies and using the next month or so as a base to build a solid block.
“If we do have to change things like travel plans or training camps, we are really adaptable so it hasn’t bothered us too much.”
The team’s training base at the Adelaide SuperDrome has been closed for cleaning and disinfecting this week but is expected to re-open this weekend.
Cycling Australia’s road, BMX and mountain bike teams for Tokyo will be named from May 3 onwards.
The full track team is Matthew Richardson, Matthew Glaetzer, Nathan Hart, Stephanie Morton, Kaarle McCulloch, Kelland O’Brien, Leigh Howard, Alex Porter, Sam Welsford, Lucas Plapp, Annette Edmondson, Maeve Plouffe, Georgia Baker, Amy Cure, Ashlee Ankudinoff.
reece.homfray@news.com.au
Originally published as Australia names 15-rider track team for the Tokyo Olympics despite grave fears the Games may not even go ahead