MOUNT Gambier cyclist Luke Wight has returned from the Under 19 national track championships with some impressive results.
After four days of intense competition, Wight had claimed a bronze medal in the individual pursuit, actually setting the fastest time on the night.
With just two riders on track for the event, Wight had qualified for the bronze race, even though his time in the final was faster than those racing for the gold medal.
It was an event Wight said he had been training hard for leading up to the championships.
“That is one of my favourites, but I was surprised to win bronze,” he said.
“I expected to do a decent time, but at that stage I was more focused on trying to beat my personal best.”
That fast time also qualified him for the long list for the World Championship Australian squad that heads to Switzerland in August, where just six riders from Australia will compete.
“Hopefully if everything goes my way I can go to represent Australia,” Wight said.
“I will find out in the next couple of weeks if I make the long list.
“I have mates who have made the team before so I am trying to get as much information as I can from them about what to expect.”
Wight said it had come as a surprise, with his coach notifying him just after his bronze medal win.
“When I crossed the line and saw my time, I was pretty happy,” he said.
“My coach said ‘you realise that qualified you for the world squad?’.
“That did not really settle in for a few days.”
Over the four days of competition at the national championships Wight competed in five events – individual pursuit, individual points, team pursuit, madison and scratch race.
He came sixth in the individual points race, then was helping a fellow rider to medal in the scratch race and just missed a medal in the team pursuit.
It is Wight’s sixth time representing the state on the track and he improved his times on last year, which he said was a major goal.
He said that knowledge helped his campaign this year, knowing what to expect and how to prepare leading up to the competition, with top 10 placings the result in all his events.
The time Wight set also allowed him another year at the South Australian Sports Institute, with contracts based on performance.
Down the track he will step up to the men’s category, which he expected to be a lot different.
“It is going to be a bit weird next year,” he said.
“If I do happen to make the (state) team again I will ride with world champions and all the high performance athletes from the AIS.”
Looking further ahead, Wight said he would simply see how his career panned out, with no long-term plans.
“I generally just take it as it goes and consider more short term goals,” he said.
“Right now, to make the world championships would be pretty good.”
