Ireland has selected four cyclists and four reveres to compete at the Olympic Games in Tokyo this summer.
The team of Felix English, Mark Downey, Shannon McCurley and Emily Kay will compete in the Madison at the Izu Velodrome from the 5 – 8 August.
The Madison is a fast moving endurance track relay event, that involves two rider teams taking turns to compete over 30km (women) 50km (men), with points awarded at different intervals.
The resting rider has to touch the racing rider when changing over, via a hand-sling or a push.
The Omnium is a multiple-race event, with four races being held in one day, where riders are awarded points for their finishing position which are totalled at the end to find their ranking.
In the Women’s Madison Rio Olympian Shannon McCurley will be joined by Emily Kay, with Kay also competing in the Omnium.
McCurley has been no stranger to international success for Team Ireland, winning silver in the Scratch Race at the European Championships in 2019.
She became Ireland’s first track cycling Olympian in 2016, competing in the Keirin, a sprint event, before switching her focus to the endurance based track events.
Kay is an exciting relatively new Team Ireland member, who has been performing extremely strongly on the world stage in the Omnium in particular, including a podium finish at the UCI Track Cycling World Cup in Canada in 2020, where she won bronze. Lydia Gurley will be travelling as the reserve cyclist for the team.
The Men’s Madison will be Mark Downey and Felix English, an exciting pairing who have already spent a stint in this Olympiad ranked number one.
One of the two will also compete in the Omnium, this will be decided closer to the Games. Downey hails from a family steeped in cycling, his father Seamus also competed in the Olympics for cycling – at the LA Games in 1984.
English has been a regular feature on Team Ireland squads over the past ten years, and together with Downey secured the final Tokyo qualification berth at the World Championships last year, in a drama filled 200 lap race.
Fintan Ryan will be travelling as the reserve cyclist for the team.
“We are delighted to announce the track cycling team for Tokyo 2020” said Mark Downey on his selection.
“Even though this will be a first Games for many of them, they each bring unique experiences to the group. Our Deputy Chef Liam Harbison will be supporting this team in the satellite village in Izu”.
“While they will be remote to Tokyo, Team Ireland will provide every support possible as they prepare to compete towards the end of the Games. I wish Martyn and the team every success!”
This brings to 15 the number of officially selected Team Ireland athletes, and team announcements will come more frequently over the coming weeks, with the final team announcement scheduled for the beginning of July.
The Olympic Games in Tokyo will run from the 23rd July to 8th August 2021.
Team Ireland track cycling announcement:
Men’s Madison: Felix English, Mark Downey, Reserve – Fintan Ryan,
Women’s Madison: Shannon McCurley, Emily Kay, Reserve – Lydia Gurley
Men’s Omnium: TBC
Women’s Omnium: Emily Kay
