New Zealand Junior World track team announced

BikeNZ has announced its team to represent New Zealand at the Junior Track Cycling World Championships in Aquascalientes, Mexico, August 4 - 8. The team is made up of sprinters and endurance athletes, with all those selected winning medals at the recent national track championships in Invercargill, and seven of the team members setting new national records.

Southland's Eddie Dawkins, who smashed the previous New Zealand under 19 and senior 1000m time trial record last week with a time of 1.3.700, will be looking to improve on that time as it is only two seconds off the junior world record time.

The Junior Track World Championships have proved a successful event for New Zealand teams during the last two years. In 2006 New Zealand won three silver medals and one bronze medal, and 2005 two gold medals and a silver medal. Prior to 2005, the previous medal at a junior track world championships was won in 1995.

Of the team selected this year, only Lauren Ellis and Shane Archbold are returning from 2006. The complete team will be Shane Archbold (Mid-South Canterbury), Alex Cull (Auckland), Jason Christie (Mid-South Canterbury), Eddie Dawkins (Southland), Lauren Ellis (Mid-South anterbury), Natasha Hansen (Canterbury), Cathy Jordan (Southland), Myron Simpson (Auckland), Tom Scully (Southland), Sam Steele (Canterbury) and James Williamson (Southland).