12 Aussie riders to compete at Junior Track Cycling World Championships in Tel Aviv
The 47th Junior Track Cycling World Championships began yesterday at the Sylvan Adams National Velodrome in Tel Aviv, the first time that the championships are being held in Israel.
Leo Zimmermann, Dylan Proctor-Parker, Noah Blannin and Tarun Cook
The championships feature around 300 under-18 cyclists from 40 countries and five continents, including a 12-person squad from Australia.
The Israeli team at the championships is led by Uri Besh-Duvinsky, and Oron Argoc, the Israel youth champion. Other participants include Noa Schweki, Hilli Biderman, Uri Bahri, and Ron Ben-Efraim.
The quartet of Leo Zimmermann, Dylan Proctor-Parker, Noah Blannin and Tarun Cook will be looking to replicate their performance from the 2022 Oceania Track Cycling Championships earlier this year on Day 1 in Israel when they take to the Sylvan Adams National Velodrome for the men’s team pursuit. In all, five young men and seven young women are representing Australia.
The opening ceremony at the Velodrome was attended by Israel’s Olympic Committee Chair Yael Arad, the philanthropist Sylvan Adams, and Tel Aviv-Jaffa Mayor Ron Huldai.
“The Junior Track Cycling World Championships here at the new Sylvan Adams velodrome in Israel is an important event in the development of track cycling in Israel,” said Arad. “The exposure to professional levels and inspiration for our sportspeople, and the incredible professional work that is being done in track cycling, will lead to achievements in the future.”
Adams said that “Israel has proved again that it can host big international events, including world championships. The championships beginning today are fantastic news for Israeli sport in general and track cycling in particular. The opening shot in the race for an Olympic medal begins now! Our cyclists have already won medals in the World and European championships and have achieved great things for Israeli sport. Together, we are giving an opportunity to our talented youth to realize their potential and to bring great pride to Israel.”
The championships are being held as part of the efforts by the Israeli Cycling Federation and Adams to transform track cycling, in which 36 medals are awarded during the Olympics, into a leading sport in Israel.
The event is being produced by the Comtec Group, which together with Adams has been responsible for bringing leading sports and entertainment events to Israel, including the French Super Cup, the Giro D’Italia, the EuroBasket, the European Championships, the Judo Grand Slam, and the IRONMAN contest in Tiberias.
