
Jason Queally - Superman Returns!12th March 2010: British Cycling have today announced that 2000 Sydney Olympic Kilo Champion Jason Queally will participate at the 2010 UCI Track Cycling World Championships in Copenhagen as part of their Team Pursuit squad. Queally had been training with multiple Paralympic Champion Anthony Kappes for the Tandem Kilo and Pursuit however since UK Sport revoked Paracycling’s funding he has been forced to switch back to the able-bodied side of the sport to continue his long and illustrious career. Way back in 2000 Queally kick-started British Cycling’s ‘Gold-Rush’ as he became the first British Olympic Gold medal winner of the Sydney Olympics and the first British Cyclist to claim Gold since Chris Boardman’s Pursuit Gold in Barcelona 1992. The World Championships will mark yet another fresh start for Queally who following his 2000 Gold was controversially dropped for the Kilo in Athens and forced to watch Chris Hoy take his title. Then after the Games the Kilo was dropped from the Olympic Programme so Jason concentrated on securing his spot in the Team Sprint for Beijing 2008. ![]() More used to the Team Sprint, Queally is proof that Sprinters truly are the most adaptable type of Athlete Unfortunately British Cycling’s youth development programme got the better of him as Jason Kenny emerged through the ranks to deny both him and Ross Edgar of a place in the Team Sprint. Having failed to gain selection for the 2008 Beijing Olympics Queally announced his retirement from the sport and took up a coaching role before deciding to try out for the role as a Tandem pilot in the Paralympic squad. "My avenue with the elite team was over, I wasn't quick enough, I was getting too old, I missed out on Olympic selection for Beijing by one tenth of a second to Jason Kenny in the Team Sprint." "I had a long think about what direction I wanted to go in next – and I really wanted to carry on riding and competing and a mechanism which has enabled me to do that is to ride tandem with a paralympian. That in all honesty is why I took up tandem." “All I wanted to do was carry on riding my bike, staying fit, healthy and active. It is a reflection of how far Paralympic sport has come. We are in a very, very fortunate position here. I don't know any other teams in the world who get these facilities for full time athletes on funding. It is reflected in the results.” Commented Jason to the Telegraph.co.uk at the time Two years on and the training Queally underwent to adapt to the demands of the Pursuit gave him a new lease of life. An intense period of Base Training in Mallorca under the guidance of endurance coach Dan Hunt was followed by Track sessions at the islands specialist Track Cycling Centre, Palma Arena. Queally then headed back to Manchester to continue his training where in order to make the most efficent use of track time he asked Team Pursuit coach Matt Parker if he could tag onto to the Team Pursuit efforts to help him with his training to be Kappes’ Pursuit pilot. Parker then stunned Queally by asking him to actually join the Team Pursuit in the efforts and he was so impressed that he invited the 40 year old to take part in the Team Pursuit trials for the forthcoming World Championships. As with any former Olympic Champion Queally knew exactly how to prepare for such a ‘trial’ and did more than enough to convince the British coaches that he is a definite for Copenhagen. “At 40, I was never going to get an opportunity like this again. Even if I don’t make it to London, I know I have had the opportunity to go for it. If I’m successful, fantastic, if not, I have given it my best shot.” Jason is one of the true greats of Track Cycling and regardless of the outcome of his latest comeback to the sport, it will be a pleasure to see him back in the British team going for Gold. Velodromeshop.org.ukVelodromeshop.org.uk is the Online Track Cycling Shop from Velodrome-STS Ltd offering you a comprehensive range of the world's leading Track Cycling equipment Email: sales@velodrome.org.uk Phone: (0044) 7509 256 675 Skype Live Chat: velodromeorguk Order Online 24/7 as the Shop is Always Open Track Cycling Shop: www.velodromeshop.org.uk Twitter: www.twitter.com/velodromeorguk Facebook: Join Our Facebook Group Language Convert the website to the following languages by selecting a flag Velodromeshop.org.uk Best Sellers
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