Paralympians Emma Foy and Hannah van Kampen have smashed the world record in the Women’s B Individual Pursuit at the C1 Para Cycling Track Event in Cambridge.
Emma Foy and Hannah van Kampen Photo: PHOTOSPORT
In a time of 3:22.088 the tandem pairing added the world record to the two rainbow jerseys they have won this year across both track and road Para cycling, highlighting their consistency at the top of their sport.
“For us it was the first racing of the track season and a good chance to see where we were at. Our coach Damian had set what I thought was a pretty optimistic schedule of lap times to ride in the individual pursuit. But we did it. We had been tracking towards making the world record time in training so we knew we could get close. It was incredibly satisfying to see all the hard work come together,” Foy said.
Stuart MacDonald, Para Cycling Head Performance Coach, said it was fantastic the pair were able to break the world record in the qualifying round, then back it up again later in the day in the final.
“This meant they achieved two rides producing times of 3 minutes and 22 seconds at sea level on the same day within a couple of hours of each other. Both rides were incredible and very much reflective of the work they have put in with their coach Damian Wiseman,” MacDonald said.
“This event was a really solid start to the track season for the entire Para cycling squad. With this being the first event of the track season, it is always a little bit of an unknown as to what shape the riders will turn up in after the road Para cycling season. Everyone really turned up with their track focus engaged. This is the first of the two C1 events for the Para cycling squad, with racing in Brisbane next month. Riders will use this as a stepping stone.”
MacDonald said the performances this weekend bode well for the rest of the summer track season, and onwards to the UCI Para Cycling Track World Championships in January.
The C1 Para Cycling Track Event is a UCI sanctioned event and allows countries to gain valuable points to secure slots for their nations at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games next year. This event included competitors from throughout New Zealand and Japan.
The event was also an opportunity for the New Zealand Para cyclists to be considered for selection to the New Zealand Para Cycling Team to compete at the 2020 UCI Para Cycling Track World Championships in Canada from 30 January – 2 February.
A total of 4 Para cyclists achieved an A standard, with a further 2 Para cyclists achieving a B standard, ensuring they are eligible for selection.
