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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-05-30 Daily Xml
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OLYMPIC TRACK CYCLING TEAM

The Hon. M.J. WRIGHT (Lee) (14:58): My question is to the Minister for Recreation and Sport. Can the minister inform the house how many South Australians have been named in the Australian track cycling team for the 2012 London Olympics?

The Hon. T.R. KENYON (Newland—Minister for Employment, Higher Education and Skills, Minister for Science and Information Economy, Minister for Recreation and Sport) (14:59): I am very happy to answer this question. I am proud to confirm that seven out of the 14 cyclists chosen to represent Australia—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. T.R. KENYON: Seven out of 14; it is a good number—for the 2012 London Olympics are from South Australia. It is half the entire team and a truly outstanding result that cements South Australia's reputation as the cycling capital of Australia.

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The Hon. T.R. KENYON: I don't think there's anyone from the Norwood Cycling Club, for the member for Norwood—

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Norwood!

The Hon. T.R. KENYON: —but if you listen to the member for Norwood I think the whole club would be in the Olympic team.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. T.R. KENYON: Current world champions Anna Meares, Glenn O'Shea and Matthew Glaetzer spearhead the seven-strong South Australian contingent in the team, along with Jack Bobridge, Rohan Dennis, and brother and sister combo Alexander and Annette Edmondson. It could get nasty on the camp, ma'am! All these cyclists are serious medal chances in London. Hopefully we will see a continuation of the tradition of Olympic success set by such champions as Mike Turtur, Stuart O'Grady, Luke Roberts and Brett Aitken.

The selection of so many local athletes caps off what has already been a great year for South Australian cycling. Anna Meares and Glen O'Shea both achieved gold at the World Track Cycling Championships in Melbourne this year, as did 19-year-old Matthew Glaetzer who rode the fastest third wheel time of all time to help Australia win the gold in the men's team sprint. Rohan Dennis is another—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. T.R. KENYON: —up and coming rider who has made his mark on the national/international cycling scene this year. His recent success in the time trial stage of the Olympia tour in the Netherlands follows on from his winning the King of the Mountain and the Young Rider's jerseys at the Santos Tour Down Under.

Rohan and Annette Edmondson are among a number of South Australian cycling young guns who have been identified and nurtured through the SASI talent search program prior to their rapid rise to success on the world stage. Other SASI cyclists who have made their mark this year include current para world track cycling champions and world record holders, Felicity Johnson and her pilot Stephanie Morton, in the tandem time trial.

Then there is our latest SASI champion, Sam Willoughby, who won the Elite Men's BMX world title last weekend in Birmingham, England. Sam's world title winning performance over the weekend was the seventh cycling world championship for SASI cyclists in 2012, and I am sure all members of the house will agree that this is a significant achievement for South Australian cycling. This is very exciting for South Australian and Australian cycling as we build up to the London Olympics which start in just two months.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. T.R. KENYON: To see such talent emerging from the SASI cycling program, as well as having the Australian Institute of Sport high-performance cycling program based here in Adelaide really bodes well for the future. I congratulate all the cyclists on their selection, along with the coaches and other support staff at SASI who have worked tirelessly behind the scenes to help make all of this happen. As the Olympics rapidly approach I am sure all members, along with all South Australian sports lovers, will be cheering on our sporting stars as they do us proud in London.

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