Robbins wants Olympic ride

Australian sportsperson Sally Robbins has declared her desire to contest the 2012 Olympic Games in London, England as a cyclist. Robbins has contested several cycling events in recent months, including the Track World Cup round in Melbourne, now revealing that her interest in the sport goes beyond recreational boundaries.

The rower took the spotlight during the 2004 Olympic Games when she famously laid down in the boat during the women's eight final race. The incident saw Robbins take heat from Australian media, with leading news organisations dubbing her "Lay-down Sally".

"Getting out of a boat and on to a bike has been a sharp learning curve," Robbins told The Australian. "While I'm already missing rowing a lot and the sport will always be a big part of me, I'm starting to get the hang of cycling."

West Australian Institute of Sport head of cycling Darryl Benson believes Robbins can be successful in her cycling pursuits. Both the late Amy Gillet and Australian Open Road Champion time trialer Bridie O'Donnell have successfully made the switch from the Australian women's rowing program to cycling.

"People have got to understand Sally is wanting to find a fresh direction and deserves a go," said Benson. "Sally is quite serious about her cycling. She's not treating the switch in sport as some novelty. While she was disappointed at missing selection in the rowing team for Beijing this year, she wants to compete at the highest level again.