Proud Day for Junior WAIS Cyclist
Junior WAIS track sprint cyclist Allee Proud has been included in the 14 strong Australian under 19 team selected to contest the UCI Junior Track World Championships being staged in Moscow, Russia from 17 to 21 August.
Proud is the sole West Australian representative in the outfit, with Mitch Benson, Luke Zaccaria and in particular Jessica Allen all unlucky to miss selection.
Proud secured her ticket to Moscow after taking silver in the women’s sprint in U19 competition at the recent track nationals in Sydney, before teaming with WAIS training partner Holly Williams to win bronze in the open age women’s team sprint.
Having progressed through the WAIS talent identification pathway that has unearthed other WAIS track athletes such as national champion Luke Durbridge, Proud has worked her way through the underpinning Jets program and made significant strides in the lead up to nationals following the appointment of new WAIS senior cycling coach Clay Worthington in January.
WAIS head cycling coach Darryl Benson said “It’s very pleasing to have Allee in the junior team for worlds. To see where she’s come in the last three years since we discovered her in the talent search is a full credit to her dedication. She has worked really hard with Clay recently and she deserves this chance,” he said.
Benson however did admit to surprise at not seeing Jessica Allen’s name on the squad list for Russia.
“It’s a shame for Jess, she’s won the points score at nationals and performed well at last year’s junior world road championships, so there really isn’t much else she could have done. That said, we’ll prepare her again for the road worlds and we know she will be right up for it,” Benson said.
The Australian team includes Queensland’s Taylah Jennings who recently claimed the U19 Champion of Champion’s jersey at the Scody Cycling Australia Track National Championships raced at Dunc Gray Velodrome in Sydney.
Jennings dominated her competition to collect six medals, including three gold, from the six events she contested.
The 16 year old won the keirin, omnium and scratch race, claimed silver in the time trial and points race and was third in the individual pursuit. She is based in Rockhampton and is coached by Reg Tucker, the early coach of Olympic and World Champion Anna Meares.
“She is my idol, a really good role model, especially as she is from Queensland,” said Jennings after her Championships campaign. “At training I am always reminded of her, I am kind of expected to be her, so it gives me the drive to be like her.
Jaron Gardiner and Luke Parker earned a berth after being members of the victorious Victorian team sprint trio that set an Australian All-Comers and Championship record earlier this month. Gardiner also earned silver in both the kilometre time trial and sprint. They’ll be joined in the sprint group by Timothy McMillan who won the keirin and sprint and was second in the team sprint and third in the kilometre.
Meantime the versatile Rick Sanders comes into the team after winning the scratch race and kilometre time trial at the nationals and claiming silver in the omnium. He was also in the gold medal winning Victorian U19 teams pursuit quartet.
New South Wales pair Jackson Law and Caleb Ewan are the reigning Australian champions in the U19 men’s Madison. Ewan also pocketed gold in the omnium and points race at the nationals.
Queenslander Emily Roper won the U19 individual pursuit and was second in the omnium at the Australian championships while Melbourne cyclist Adele Sylvester won double gold through wins in the 500m time trial and sprint.
– with Cycling Australia