Eight WA cyclists to compete at 2020 Oceania Track Championships

Published On: 8 October 2019

Eight West Australian cyclists will line up at the 2020 Oceania Track Championships, October 16-19, in Invercargill, New Zealand.

Leading the West Australian charge is Olympic silver medallist and dual 2019 World Champion Sam Welsford who will line up as a member of the Australian National Team. 23-year-old Welsford who has broken the team pursuit World Record twice in the last 18 months will have a purely bunch race focus at these Championships. Welsford will show off his rainbow jersey as World Champion in the scratch race and also line up in the omnium, as defending champion and chase success in the Madison.

Another member of the Australian National Team is Matthew Richardson, with the 20-year-old continuing his rise to the top of the sport having joined the Australian Cycling Team Podium Potential Academy a year ago. Richardson will compete in the team sprint with Nathan Hart and Matthew Glaetzer as they look to qualify a spot for Australia at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. He will also contest the sprint and keirin.

Conor Leahy returns to Oceania Championships as the defending champion in the individual pursuit and is chasing a third podium in succession. Leahy also riding as part of the National Team will also feature in the team pursuit, Madison, omnium and points race.

Rising sprint star Kye Bonser will line up in four events as he tests himself against some of the world’s best in the sprint, keirin, 1km time trial and team sprint. Bonser who was part of the winning junior team sprint trio in Melbourne three years ago will be looking for his first major international medal as he pushes for potential World Cup selection.

Jade Haines continues her return to competition having taken a break following a successful junior career. Haines a silver medallist at the UCI Junior Track World Championships has previously won medals as a junior and will look to take her first senior medal in Invercargill. A busy programme will see her contest five events – the individual pursuit, points race, scratch race, omnium and team pursuit.

Joining Haines in the elite women’s field will be Megan Gammie who will contest the individual pursuit, omnium and scratch and points races in what will be her international debut.

In the under 19 categories Karis Bonser will contest the 500m time trial, sprint and keirin. While Oliver Bleddyn will have one of the busiest programmes of anyone at the championships competing across sprint and endurance events. His seven event competition sees him compete in the omnium, Madison, points race, scratch race, individual pursuit, 1km time trial and team pursuit.

The WA Team will be coached by West Australian Institute of Sport Head Cycling Coach Matt Crampton.