OLYMPIC FAST TRACK PROGRAM BOLTS FROM GATES WITH FIRST CAMP

The Olympic Fast Track program bolted from the gates in May as it welcomed its first athletes into the inaugural team camp held across Adelaide and the Gold Coast.

An initiative of the Australian Cycling Team, the Olympic Fast Track program aims to identify and develop promising female talents in sprint cycling who have the potential to represent Australia at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

The first camp included athletes from three sports, including US collegiate football representative Indiana Lysaght, track and field sprint athlete and current beach sprint national champion Sophie Watts, and Adelaide Crows AFLW team member Jessica Sedunary.

“While all three athletes had little or no previous cycling experience before this camp, they came into it as established elite athletes with well-developed high-performance attributes,” said Olympic Fast Track Head Coach Lynne Munro.

“Our aim through this program is to dig progressively deeper into assessing their potential as Olympic podium candidates in sprint cycling while using innovative practice to fast track their development towards that end.”

Key objectives for the camp included building the foundations of a unique performance environment, harnessing the opportunity of diverse athlete backgrounds and creating a shared learning experience between coach and athletes.

The program included track training sessions, strength and power assessments, psychology and wellbeing sessions, and activities aimed at building squad culture.

Athletes were guided through the camp by key Australian Cycling Team staff, including Kat Sutherland (PA), Jacqui Sandland (Psychology), Chris Lynch (Athlete Wellbeing Lead), Lachlan Hinds (Strength & Power), Michael Devitt (Mechanic and Bike Engineer).

A partnership between the Australian Cycling Team and Griffith University also allowed athletes to be exposed to cutting-edge testing conducted on the Gold Coast.

The testing, led by Associate Professor Clare Minahan and her team at Griffith University, used unique technologies provided by Phillips & Mermaid Beach Radiology to assess inherent physiological characteristics of the squad. 

“With the help of our support staff on the ground, we saw tangible results through the week, including progressing the athletes from having little riding ability to the full technical delivery of standing lap in a week,” Munro explained. “In addition, the sessions at Griffith University propelled our understanding of the athletes’ physiology and hence inherent physical potential.”

Being immersed in the Australian Cycling Team headquarters daily training environment in Adelaide enabled the new athletes to be up close and personal with athletes who have already achieved their dream of Olympic selection.

“It was also great to have the camp scheduled the same week as the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Squad announcement as it provided an opportunity for our Olympic Fast Track athletes to see what possibly lies at the end of their program journey,” Munro added.

The program will operate monthly camps and continues to seek and assess prospective candidates.