Australia has claimed silver and bronze in the T2 time trial on day one of the 2022 UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships in Canada.
Carol Cooke claimed silver in the women’s T2 time trial to add to her 14 medals since 2011, while Stuart Jones took bronze in the men’s T2 time trial.
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“I decided that today I was just going to concentrate on the process,” the 61-year-old Cooke said.
“After last week’s World Cup and not being on the podium, I was starting to wonder if my time of international racing was over, but not concentrating on the outcome helped today.
“Just worrying about what I was doing and my own race, to do the best I could was what was in my head.
“To come away with a silver medal was certainly the icing on the cake – so absolutely stoked.”
Jones said his bronze medal came at a time when a lack of international racing had left him with a range of emotions.
“After not racing internationally for so long there was a whole gambit of emotions, ranging from nervousness to excitement, but once I was at the start line everything disappeared, and it became the pure business of trying to be as fast as I could be and executing the ride as best as I could,” Jones said.
“This is my third road world championships and my first in 2018 in Italy was a disaster.
“I let the occasion get to me. I worked with a sports psych after that and he taught me to break the race down into parts.
“So, that’s what I did today. I focused on getting the best start I could, then focused on my first corner and getting the right line in and out.
“The whole race was broken down like that. I worked hard for third today and even if I hadn’t (finished third), I rode the best race I could have, so I would have walked away happy regardless, but it is always nice to get something for the pool room.
“I owe a great deal to an Australian Cycling Team staff member, Rebecca Dicello, who was following and talking to me throughout the race. I know my result is half due to her and how she handled me throughout the race. I owe Bec a lot.”
ABC