​Olympic Fast Track Program: Women's Team Sprint 2024

This year, for the first time in history, the women's team sprint discipline has progressed to having three riders. This is a big milestone in equality for women in our sport. The Australian Cycling Team is taking an innovative approach to developing our team for the next Olympics in Paris 2024, ​seeking to recruit high-calibre athletes from other sports and competitive ​​​backgrounds, and leveraging the opportunity to make a tangible step-forward for women in our sport.
"We are seeking bold women who want to step out and achieve something exceptional.”
Dr. Lynne Munro, Head of Olympic Fast Track Program

Our Vision

"An Olympic gold-medal winning women’s team sprint whose journey to success
​positively impacts the future for women in the sport."

​Information for Athletes

​The Olympic Fast Track (OFT) program offers the potential of a direct pathway towards contesting Olympic Gold through targeted identification of athletes with the ideal profile and fast-tracking their progress to world-standard in team sprint. It is a fully resourced, coach-led program of progressive assessment and development. Initial stages of the program will be individually tailored to meet you where you’re at, working with you to be supportive of your current training and competitive commitments. Engagement will then increase through training and assessment at centralised camps and national training environment exposure. Understanding you and your background, is foremost throughout. Through all stages we will progress towards confirming your Olympic-potential and final commitment to the national program and Olympic journey.

​Who Are You?
  • Demonstrated high level performance background
  • Driven to be world best
  • Thrives on challenge and has a "no limits" mindset
  • High levels of leg power, speed or acceleration e.g. in running, jumping or weightlifting
  • Professional, positive and contributes to exceptional team environments
  • Courageous and takes every opportunity to step forward
  • Seeks advantage in thinking differently

​Program Information

​The Opportunity
A clear and direct pathway towards Olympic gold, harnessing the high value and potential of established athletes, and leveraging a high-profile journey to contribute to a better future for the sport and for women.

​The Fast-Track Model
An alternative model to developing world-beating athletes, utilising innovative thinking and approaches to achieve podium standard quickly, challenging traditions and assumptions, and building an exciting culture of exploration, learning and change.

Shifting The Landscape
​A program centered around women and working in partnership with athletes, recognising their experience and uniqueness and creating a gender equitable/inclusive environment of empowerment.

​Get Involved
​Power and Potential in the Program

The Olympic journey is a high-visibility story that can create legacies. We aim to leverage the OFT initiative to positively impact the environment for women, including evaluating and identifying opportunities for best practice in women’s sport and performance environments, maximizing opportunities for community inspiration and empowerment, and supporting a flourishing future for women and the sport beyond 2024.
Specific Aims
  • Explore and shape a performance environment and preparation practices purposefully designed to support women achieving excellence.
  • Directly support women (staff and athletes) being involved in our sport and provide more role-models of strong, successful women to the wider community.
  • Positively impact the image and experience of women's track sprint cycling, helping improve experiences for women in being part of a vibrant culture and member of a tribe of strong, driven and supportive people.
  • Improve the engagement and collaboration of high-performance sport with our community through regular and meaningful outreach and connection.

​#MyPowerOnThePodium Campaign

Our Team. Our Community. Together We Rise.

Power is the capacity or ability to direct or influence the behaviour of others or the course of events, or to do something or act in a particular way.
​
A podium is a platform used to raise something to a short distance above its surroundings. Podia can also be used to raise people, it allows people to be seen and command attention.
“Sport, the Olympics, is about far more than winning and medal count, it’s about showcasing the power of humanity through exceptional human performance. As staff and athletes in a National training environment, we have a privileged position to role-model that sentiment and inspire our communities. As an athlete your power is displayed and embodied in the physicality of the competitive arena. As a community member your power is displayed and embodied in how you show up to life every day, to every person and in every situation and challenge you encounter. We need to encourage each other to be all of who we are and use our full power to make a difference. By doing so we empower others to do so too. Together we rise - lifting each other and powering change in the world one person at a time. We want to encourage our athletes and our community to use this hashtag to keep showcasing their daily actions of power. If we all keep showing up in our full power every day, tomorrow will be what we envisage it to be.”

Dr. Lynne Munro, Head of Olympic Fast Track Program

​FAQs

Is this a Nationally supported program?
The program is a key component of the Australian Cycling Team's gold-medal strategy for Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The grogram staff are National coaches and PhD qualified sport scientists. Program funding is augmented by the Australian Institute of Sport. State/local delivery support is provided in partnership with State Institutes and Academies. 
How realistic is reaching the olympics?
This program is designed with the absolute priority to seek and develop athletes towards 2024. DUe to limited time, we will be working to quickly assess and identify athletes that have the makings of becoming an Olympic team member. If you are selected, we believe you are demonstrating key performance attributed of an Olympic podium contender. The program structure has been designed to progressively assess that potential, and ultimately lead to National team inclusion. Participating athletes that might need or want longer development time may also have the opportunity to continue a supported pathway, through the State Institute system. This will be discussed on a case by case basis during engagement with the program.
Do I need to relocate to participate?
No. During the recruitment and confirmation process we want to be as flexible as possible to accommodate your lifestyle and needs. That means we will support your testing, training and development in a way that accommodated what's needed for both you and the squad. State Institute/Academy staff will be engaged to support you locally if required. You will be required to attend multiple centralised camps along your journey, including an extended camp as a final confirmation period. Travel and accommodation costs will be covered for these camps. If you are selected to become part of the Australian Cycling Team your relocation and full commitment to the sport will be discussed at that point.
Are you focusing only on athletes of a cenrtain age range? am i too old?
No. We are interested in the capabilities of the athlete. However, in targeting the Olympic podium, we expect successful athletes will be in their peak performance years.
do i need to have specific abilities or performance attributes?
Yes. With the Olympic 2024 focus, we are seeking athletes that are high-level performers that we can develop to having sprint cycling skills. This includes demonstrating high levels of explosive power and leg speed, as well as elite standard professional and performance characteristics and behaviours. We do NOT, however, require the athlete to have a specific training background, training age or results history. We are looking for athletes that have the physical attributes, and are, for example, hard working, highly motivated and have the capacity to take on this challenge in a positive and determined manner.
what will the assessment process look like?
Initial testing will determine if you have the fundamental physical qualities necessary for accelerating a bike quickly. This will involve on and off bike strength and power assessments. Following a successful trial we will discuss opportunity for an exposure period to the sport. If things are proceeding well (e.g. you are enjoying it and showing a good rate of progression), we will invite you to attend structured training and assessment camps including an extended confirmation period in our training environment
does being involved in the process/program mean i have to give up my current sport?
No. We want to provide the opportunity to explore a mutual fit. If you show potential and achieve final selection we can then discuess whether a move to being embedded fully in sprint cycling is right for you.
My sport / coach / agent / performance director has suggested i try out for the program, does this mean they want me to leave my sport?
No. They are simply aware of the opportunity this is providing and your potential to fit the profile.
i have limited resources/funding and no access to a bike, can i still be involved?
As much as possible we want to ensure athletes are not hindered in the access to this program. Whilst there may be a small personal cost experienced in participating, we will cover flights, accommodation and will work with you to minimise access barriers. If you are successful in proceeding into later stages of the program we will make sure you have the resources and equipment needed including bikes and training kits (shoes, clothes, helmet) for riding as needed.
will i automatically go through every phase of the process? when will i know if i've been selected?
Progression through each phase will be based on ongoing demonstration of positive signs towards Olympic potential. At each state we will continue to refine the assessment of your profile, with more knowledge, understanding and experience of you. Your increasing exposure to the sport will similarly let you refine decisions from your own perspective.
if i progress through all phases of the program and achieve final selection, does this mean i am guaranteed to make the olympic team?
No. Throughout the process we will be using our skills and experience of working with world-class sprinters to determine if you have the potential to make the Olympic team. With a successful confirmation process will be invited to become a scholarship athlete and continue your training as part of the National team with the sole purpose of training towards the Olympics. Final selection to the Olympic team is dependent on standard Olympic selection criteria (which included, but are not limited to, achieving appropriate performance times).
are there limited space available in the program? in the final olympic squad?
This year the women's team sprint event has extended from two to three riders. The final competing team will be the best individual performer in each of the three riding positions. The Olympic Fast Track Program is about finding and training athletes towards full selection for the Australian Cycling Team and Olympic 2023 long squad. We will not be setting exact numbers to make up the Olympic Fast Track training squad, but rather making sure we have the best athletes and the right balance of numbers to create a positive training environment throughout the process. We want to encourage all athletes demonstrating potential to continue challenging towards 2024 and later Olympics. There are options within the performance pathway that can provide support to athletes not making final selection.

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