HONG KONG, China (Reuters) — Some of the world’s top track cyclists were training in Hong Kong on Monday (April 10) ahead of the UCI Track Cycling World Championships.
The five-day event starts on Wednesday (April 12) and Britain will be the nation to beat after their performances at last year’s world championships in London and the 2016 Olympic Games. Britain finished top of the medals table in London with five golds and nine in total and they were also the number one team in Rio with six golds and 12 all together.
Britain will be without the likes of Jason Kenny and Laura Kenny but they will feel confident of challenging for plenty of medals. Callum Skinner, who won a silver at last year’s Olympics also told Reuters on Monday that he’s hopeful British Cycling can put a line under a year of allegations made by former cyclists who claimed there was a “culture of fear” in the team.
British Cycling’s chairman has apologised for the bullying claims and the incoming Performance Director – Stephen Park – has promised rapid action in areas including leadership and governance when he takes over.
Park, who steps down as manager of Britain’s successful Olympic sailing team after one final regatta next week, said he will take on board lessons from both external and internal reviews, but the overall programme was not broken.
British Cycling said earlier this month its gold-at-all-costs approach will be softened after allegations of a bullying and sexist culture. It admitted to “failures” in its World Class Programme, which delivered unprecedented medal success at the last three Olympic Games.
A turbulent year has also seen British Cycling at the centre of an ongoing UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) investigation into “allegations of wrongdoing in the sport.” It has denied any doping violations.
Park said he is committed to change, but also wants to preserve the strengths of the team’s programme.
Elsewhere, the United States and Germany will be hopeful of winning medals with several Olympic and world champion medallists in their squads.