Date:15/07/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/07/15/stories/2008071556541800.htm

Sport - Sports : General

McGee aiming for more gold

SYDNEY: Brad McGee, Australia’s most successful Olympic cyclist, is aiming to add two more gold medals to his career tally at the Beijing Games.

The 32-year-old McGee, one of 28 cyclists named to Australia’s Olympic team on Monday, has five Olympic medals — one gold, a silver and three bronze — across the individual and team pursuit. In Athens in 2004, he won individual silver and team gold. At Athens, Australian cyclists won 10 medals, including six gold.

“In all reality there’s no reason why I can’t go in chasing two gold medals, in the individual and team pursuit,” McGee said. “Both are going to be highly competitive and involve some incredible performances to get the gold but it’s quite a real goal to have.”

Main threat

British riders are the main threat to McGee and the Australian team in most track events. Brad Wiggins, who defeated McGee for the individual gold in Athens, is favoured, and Britain broke Australia’s world record at the world championships. Graeme Brown, Brett Lancaster and Luke Roberts, who won gold with McGee in Athens, are also back on the team for Beijing.

In the women’s track endurance, Katie Mactier hopes to improve on her Athens silver in the 3,000m individual pursuit. In the men’s sprint, Ryan Bayley will defend his titles in the keirin and sprint. Anna Meares, who has recovered from a serious race crash in Los Angeles in January, will compete in the sprint, in which she won bronze in 2004. Meares won the 500m time trial in a world record time in Athens but that event isn’t on the Beijing schedule.

“I think all in all with everything considered in my preparation, this time around is a better one even though it has been the toughest year of my career so far,” Meares said. Cadel Evans, Stuart O’Grady, Michael Rogers, Simon Gerrans and Matthew Lloyd will contest the road race from Beijing to the Great Wall of China. A decision will be made after the road race whether Evans or Rogers will contest the road time trial. — AP