33 nations qualified for track worlds in L.A.
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Perennial powerhouse Australia, whose nine track cycling medals at the 2004 Olympic Games led all nations, heads an impressive list of qualified countries. Germany, Great Britain and Spain, each with four Olympic medals to their credit last August, are also expected to be among the primary contenders.
The Netherlands and Russia, the two top-ranked countries in the overall world cup standings respectively, have also qualified and are expected to compete. The remaining countries that medaled in the Athens Olympics — Canada, New Zealand, France, China, Japan, Mexico, Switzerland, Belarus and the United States — further complement a world-class field.
“This is shaping up to be the most athletically gifted field assembled in the U.S. for a track cycling event in the last 20 years,” commented USA Cycling chief executive officer Gerard Bisceglia. “Whether you’re a cycling fanatic or a just a sports fan in general, it really is a must-see event not only because of the sheer talent that will be participating but also because of the frequency at which such a spectacle takes place in the United States.”
The complete list of qualified countries include: Argentina, Australia, Barbados, Belgium, Belarus, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Great Britain, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Malaysia, Moldavia, Mexico, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Paraguay, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, Slovakia, Ukraine, and the United States.
The complete U.S. National Team will be announced by USA Cycling on March 14.
Members of the media are invited to take a ride on the ADT Event Center velodrome. To schedule a special "media ride," contact Lee Callans at 310-630-2095 or lcallans@lakings.com.
To request a media credential for the 2005 UCI Track Cycling World Championships, visit www.uci.ch/uci.
About USA Cycling
Recognized by the U.S. Olympic Committee and the Union Cycliste Internationale, USA Cycling promotes American cycling through its 50,000 members and 2,000 annual events. USA Cycling associations include the BMX Association (BMX), National Off-Road Bicycle Association (mountain bike), U.S. Cycling Federation (road/track) and the U.S. Professional Racing Organization (professional men’s road). For more information visit www.usacycling.org or contact, USA Cycling Director of Communicaitons, Andy Lee at 719-866-4867.
About the Home Depot Center
The Home Depot Center is southern California's new home of world-class competition and training facilities for amateur, Olympic, collegiate and professional athletes. The $150 million privately financed facility was developed and is operated by AEG on a 125 acre site on the campus of California State Dominguez Hills in Carson, California, The Home Depot Center features a 13,000 seat stadium for tennis, a 27,000 seat stadium for soccer, rugby, lacrosse & other athletic competitions and outdoor concerts, a 20,000 seat facility for track & field, the ADT Event Center, a 3500-seat indoor velodrome and other facilities for softball, baseball, beach volleyball, basketball and other sports.Named an Official U.S. Olympic Training Site, The Home Depot Center is also the national team training headquarters for the U.S. Soccer Federation. The "complex, " which is also the home of the nationally recognized Athletes Performance Training Center for elite and professional athletes has additionally be designated "official" training sites for USA Cycling, United States Track & Field, the USTA and the AVP. For more information on the Home Depot Center, contact Michael Roth at 213-742-7155.
This Article Published March 7, 2005 For more information contact:
