An experienced team returns to familiar surrounds for the 2025 Para-cycling Track World Championships in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil starting tomorrow.
A five-strong squad, full of experience and promise, have travelled out of the winter training at the Grassroots Trust Velodrome into the spring surrounds of Brazil, which also hosted the world championships last year.
“They are ready to race and in good spirits. We had a good final preparation phase in Cambridge prior to departure,” said Cycling New Zealand Head Coach, Brendon Cameron.
All New Zealand riders will be in action on opening day with Waikato’s Nicole Murray in the 1000m Time Trial, Rotorua’s Siobhan Terry in the new Elimination event, while 2024 time trial world champion, Devon Briggs will contest sprint qualifying.
They will be joined by six-time world champion, Emma Foy in her return to the sport after four years, paired with Tokyo Olympian Jesse Hodges as pilot in tandem sprint qualifying.
The evening session comprises semifinals and finals of the sprint and time trial, with Terry taking on the 10km scratch race.
There will be considerable interest in the return to competition for Foy, who competes in the women’s blind tandem with Hodges.
The 36-year-old, who retired in 2021, did not need much convincing to return when approached by her former coach, head coach Brendon Cameron. She is a double Paralympic medallist at Rio, and a six-time Para-cycling world champion from 2014 to 2020.
Hodges, who was part of the Tokyo Olympic endurance team, also retired from the sport in 2022 and has begun a career in real estate in Cambridge before being enticed back as a pilot for Foy.
Another returning to competition is 21-year-old Devon Briggs.
Briggs, the youngest in the team and having undergone numerous surgeries on severe clubfeet, has already won seven world championship medals in the C3 category,
Terry has been a prolific para competitor, particularly in swimming where she has been a national medallist. The Halberg Regional Advisor has also competed in para cross-country, archery, touch rugby, wheelchair basketball and archery before finding success in para-cycling.
She will compete in the C4 1000m time trial, elimination, scratch race and sprint.
Waikato’s Nicole Murray rounds out the team, looking to complete an outstanding and busy year after success at the UCI Para-cycling Road World Cup and World Championships in Europe.
Murray was a Paris Paralympic medallist in the individual pursuit, a two-time world champion in scratch and omnium in 2022 and has earned 10 track world championship medals over seven years.
She will compete in the C5 category in the time trial, elimination, scratch race and sprint at Rio.
“The team is in a re-set phase post the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games and we are looking at new opportunities both from our development pool and some avenues like other Paralympic sporting codes or athletes like Emma who had a break from the sport,” said Cameron.
“We have some new events that have been included into the Para cycling schedule this year that has the athletes excited.
“We’re coming here to be competitive but also learn how the new events will run and potentially evolve leading into LA in 2028.”