The ARA Australian Cycling Team has stormed into Rio Olympic Velodrome on the opening night of the 2025 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships, winning five world championships, a bronze medal and posting two new world records.
Paralympic gold medallist Korey Boddington started the blockbuster day with a new world record in C3 Men Sprint qualifying, powering to a flying 200-metre time of 10.581.
Tandem B Team Sprint quartet Jessica Gallagher and pilot Jacqui Mengler-Mohr together with Kane Perris and pilot Luke Zaccaria joined the world record club in their qualifying, laying down a heater 49.641 performance.
They would break their new marker in the gold medal final versus Italy, dropping the world record to 49.288 en route to rainbow jerseys.
Boddington comfortably won his maiden world title several hours after his world record, rainbow linking with his tandem teammates alongside Tara Neyland's C4 Women Elimination Race victory, Tahlia Clayton-Goodie's C1 Women Sprint triumph and Emily Petricola's C3 Women Scratch Race win.
Erin Rowell joined Neyland on the C4 Women Elimination Race podium in the bronze medal position.
What they said
Jess Gallagher:
It's incredibly special to be back in a rainbow jersey and to stand alongside Jac, Kane and Luke receiving their first rainbows.
Last year when Kane and Luke crashed in the qualification due to circumstances outside of their control, it was heartbreaking, particularly given their injuries, so the motivation was high to take our opportunity today and show what we are capable of. Breaking the world record twice and a world championship in the one day still feels surreal!
I'm also incredibly proud of Jac, she won her first world championship in sprint canoe 30 years ago and to step onto the Australian women's tandem eight months ago, commit to chasing this dream together, its been a privilege to race alongside her and share todays memories.
All four of us have individual and collective meanings behind today's rainbows so its a special day for all of us and our teams.
Korey Boddington:
Mate, it’s pretty unreal. From the time I started cycling I’ve aimed to earn my own stripes, but when it actually happens, it doesn’t quite sink in straight away. I’m just stoked. Been a massive team effort behind the scenes, so it’s as much theirs as it is mine. Just feels bloody good to see all the hard work pay off.
I knew it’d be a tough one. Devon’s a weapon strong, sharp, and he knows how to race and that was clear in the race. He was setting me up and I wasn’t sure what to do. I didn’t really go in with a set plan to wait or go first, just wanted to read it and back myself when it mattered. When the moment came, I just hit it and hoped the legs would hold.
Emily Petricola:
I feel incredibly grateful to have another jersey in my collection - every time you win one is special. They certainly only ever get harder to win!
It was a really hard race. I didn’t really know how any of the riders rode given it is my first track event as a C3, so it was a huge learning for me. There wasn’t much of a race plan out there today as the field was small - more a matter of see what happens and see if we can go and make some magic at the end - the only thing that could’ve made it better was if we had two Aussies on the podium … we will work on that for next time!
Tara Neyland:
It’s very exciting to win my first rainbow jersey on the track and a great start to the four days of racing.
I knew I was racing a lot of great sprinters, so I needed to try and stick to the front and control the pace. We had small numbers in C4 so the race was fast from the gun, everyone jostling for first or second wheel. I was sitting up the track unable to push my way in, so I attacked to get out of the way entirely and was able to hold them off until the end.
It was great to race this new event for our schedule in the lead up to 2028, and I’m excited to see it grow.
Tahlia Clayton-Goodie:
This is my first rainbow jersey on the track (I picked up two in Ronse at Para-cycling Road Worlds a couple of months ago).
Winning a rainbow jersey is always an incredible feeling and I am so grateful to have the opportunity to be able to compete at this level.
Feature picture: Simon Wilkinson/SWpix.com