Second Edition News for April 6, 2002

Oceania track championships cancelled

By Karen Forman in Melbourne

Australia's hopes to enlarge its team for this year's World Track Championships have been sideswiped following the shock cancellation on Friday of this month's 2002 Oceania Games.

The Oceania executive, which comprises representatives from Australia, New Zealand and New Caledonia, has pulled the road and track components of the event set down for New Caledonia for April 28 to May 5, due to lack of entries - but the mountain bike events will proceed as planned.

It's a blow for all the riders who had been training to compete, but a particular disappointment for the Australian team, which had been hoping wins by individual riders such as track sprinters Michelle Ferris and Shane Kelly and in-form roadie Rochelle Gilmore, may have given them extra places at the Worlds.

Women's coach James Victor has been hoping to enlarge his team of six Australian female riders and a win by the likes of Gilmore, in the road race would have entitled him a seventh rider and dramatically increased Australia's chances of clinching another world championship.

However, all is not completely lost.

Cycling Australia chief executive officer Graham Fredericks said today there was a chance the Oceania track events, at least, could be incorporated into another event - possibly in Australia - this year.

"It is being talked about," he said.

"Obviously we are very disappointed that the Oceania road and track events had to be cancelled. It was a combination of an initial lack of entries from the particular countries, then those left assessing the cost of it, the travel logistics etc.

"Basically the Oceania executive decided that they could not be a success."

Fredericks said the main concern was that some of Australia's top athletes had been targeting the Oceania's for Worlds qualification.

"The Oceania's is an important event for us in many ways because of the qualification process they offer Australian and New Zealand riders. If you win an individual event, it gives you an automatic start in the worlds championships."

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