WAIS Cycling Legend Calls it a Day

Published On: 16 October 2008

Peter Dawson

WAIS cycling legend Peter Dawson has decided to quit professional cycling to focus more time on his young family.

Dawson, a gold medal winner in Athens 2004, had recently been competing in the US before returning home to Perth, to start a new chapter in his life.

Dawson’s finest hour in professional cycling was as a member of the men’s 4000m pursuit in Athens. Dawson also claimed four world titles as part of that successful team.

Peter Dawson’s cycling career developed from results achieved as aJunior U/19 winning bothNationaland World Championships on the Track in 1999-2000.

After a transitional first year in the senior ranks, he had his breakthrough in 2002 winning the National Senior Individual 4km Pursuit at theSydney World Cup in the same event, and gained selectionfor Commonwealth Gamesand World Championships,winning gold as a member of the National Teams Pursuit team in World record time in both events.

Three more World Teams pursuit medals followed in five years as well as the Athens Olympics where Peter was one of six riders rotated throughthe qualifying rounds to help Australia secure the Gold medal, smashing their own world record.

Dawson also established himself on the Road Racing circuitwith the AIS- National Road squad winning several events and road stages of various Tours inEurope, USA,Asia and Canada.

In his final year of competition this year,Peter competed professionally with the USA based Rock Racing Team and again secured some good Road Race wins in the US.

“Peter has been anoutstanding member of the WAIS Cycling Program, representing his State and Country with distinction and set a very high benchmark for the next generation of WAIS Cyclists to aspire to” said WAIS Head Cycling Coach Darryl Benson. ‘His commitment and dedication to his chosen sport has shown that a young boy from Pinjarrawho backed himself to be a champion cyclist could make it on the World stage at the highest possible level, owning State, National, World, Commonwealth and Olympic goldthroughout a very distinguished career” he added.