Original Article: CTVOlympics.ca/news/newsid=1230243.html
With the London 2012 Olympics less than four months away, the world’s best track cyclists have descended upon Melbourne, Australia for the UCI Track Cycling World Championships. It will be the final chance for athletes on the bubble to clinch their spots.
But for Canadians Zach Bell and Tara Whitten, performances at Worlds aren’t likely to be as vital. Both have proven themselves to be strong powers not just on the Canadian team, but at an international level. Whitten won the gold medal in Omnium at both the 2010 and 2011 World Championships, and Bell won silver in the men’s Omnium at the 2009 Worlds.
Wooles, who joined the national team six years ago, appears to have focused the team, though he says he’s only given talented riders the support they need to achieve their potential.
“The 2012 London Olympic Test event was the big one for us this year. Our key now is small daily improvements.”
Nevertheless, for some cyclists, the road to Olympics requires a strong, points-earning performance at the Worlds. Canadians Hugo Barrette, Travis Smith and Joseph Veloce will push for their best performance in the men’s Team Sprint, where the team will need to beat both the United States and Venezuela in order to claim the last Olympic spot still up for grabs. Worlds represents the final opportunity to qualify for a spot at the London 2012 Olympics.
The UCI Track Cycling World Championships take place April 4-8, 2012, in Melbourne, Australia.
Original Article: CTVOlympics.ca/news/newsid=1230243.html