World records set at Konya velodrome during track cycling attempts
KONYA
Top international riders have taken to the Olympic velodrome in the central city of Konya in world record attempts, with two records broken as athletes in Olympic and Paralympic categories pushed the limits of track cycling.
Matthew Richardson, who won three medals for Australia at the Paris Olympics before switching allegiance to Britain, became the first rider to break the nine-second barrier in the 200-meter flying start.
The 26-year-old clocked 8.941 seconds, surpassing the previous mark of 9.088 set by Dutchman Harrie Lavreysen in Paris last year.
“I was basically just a passenger. I gave the bike a bit of direction, and it was just steering itself almost,” Richardson said in a British Cycling press release.
In the C5 para-cycling category, Britain’s William Bjergfelt covered 51.463 kilometers in one hour, improving on Italian Andrea Tarlao’s record of 47.569 kilometers and becoming the first para-cyclist to break the 50-kilometer barrier.
Bjergfelt, who competed at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, said he trained extensively to adapt to the conditions in Konya, including sessions in winter clothing to prepare for the heat inside the velodrome.
“My age gives me the experience to bring this performance to the track. This is the fastest velodrome I’ve ever raced on, and I hope more competitions will be held here,” he said, praising the quality of the velodrome.
According to Turkish Cycling Federation president Emin Müftüoğlu, the velodrome, which first hosted international competition at the 2021 Islamic Solidarity Games, is now regularly drawing interest from top national teams for training and competition.
“The British cycling team expressed interest in holding record attempts here, and we welcomed them. The Dutch national team also said they want to train here. They are more than welcome. Konya now has a velodrome recognized worldwide,” he said.
Müftüoğlu noted that plans are underway to bring major events, including the Masters World Championships, to the venue in the coming years.
