Asian nations set to put mark on worlds
Colorado Springs, Colo. (March 15, 2005)—In recent years, Asian countries have been advancing towards the top level of international competition in track cycling. Most notable are the accomplishments of riders from Malaysia, Hong Kong, Japan, and 2008 summer Olympics host country China.
“Excellent coaching, like that of Gary West for the Japanese team, and a desire to be competitive at the 2008 Olympic Games has brought Asian countries to distinction at the international level in cycling. The positive result is the growth of our sport in international popularity and competition,” said Pat McDonough, USA Cycling director of track cycling.
Top performing riders include Josiah Ng, Rizal Mohd Tisin, and Alias Norazian of Malaysia, Toshiaki Fushimi, Masaki Inoue, Tomohiro Nagatsuka, Kazuya Narita, Kei Uchida, Kazunari Watanabe, and Yusho Oikawa of Japan, Fang Tian, Shuang Guo, Yonghua Jiang and Yunmei Wu of China, and King Wai Cheung, Kam-Po Wong Kin Chung Wong, and Wan Yiu Wong of Hong Kong. In the 2004-05 UCI Track World Cup season, Shuang Guo of China was a common site on female sprint event podiums while the Japanese team sprint squad continued their string of top-level international performances. Josiah Ng, a Malaysian with dual citizenship in the United States and Malaysia, has also returned to prominence after an injury dashed his medal hopes at the 2004 Olympic Games.
Track cycling is not a new sport to Asian countries. In fact, the keirin, an Olympic and world championship event, originated in Japan and remains very popular. However, in the past there have only been a few riders that have broken through to be competitive on the world circuit. Of special note is Kolchi Nakano of Japan who won an amazing ten world sprint championships in a row from 1977-1986. At the Olympic Games, Asian countries have only recently been competitive winning three of their five track cycling medals in the 2000 and 2004 games. The depth of Asian nation’s programs is obvious by the recent trend towards consistent medal performances at international events by their athletes.
At the 2005 UCI Track Cycling World Championships to be held at the ADT Event Center velodrome March 24-27, 2005 just outside of Los Angeles in Carson, Calif., there is likely to be more than one breakthrough performance for Asian athletes.
The addition of the Pacific Rim Sports Summit to be held June 7-12, 2005, in Seattle, Wash, is also sure to show the growing presence of Asian countries in the world of track cycling. The Pacific Rim Sports Summit is officially billed as the “Road to Beijing” and is an Olympic-festival type event featuring nine sports, nine countries and 900 athletes. Invited nations include China, Japan, Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Russia, Canada, Mexico and the United States. For more information, visit www.pacificrimsportssummit.com.
For more information on the 2005 UCI Track Cycling World Championships March 24-27, visit the USA Cycling website at www.usacycling.org.
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), the National Collegiate Cycling Association, and the U.S. Professional Racing Organization (professional men’s road). For more information, visit www.usacycling.org or contact USA Cycling Director of Communications, Andy Lee at 719-866-4867.
About Jacob Burns, Inc.
Jacob Burns, Inc., is a design, marketing and public relations firm that specializes in interactive design. The base of the organization is set in three central principles including: simple designs are more effective than complex ones, designs must integrate with the marketing plan and promote continuity, and designs must be easily understood and take into account target demographic capabilities. For more information visit www.jacobburns.com or call 610.730.7349.
“Excellent coaching, like that of Gary West for the Japanese team, and a desire to be competitive at the 2008 Olympic Games has brought Asian countries to distinction at the international level in cycling. The positive result is the growth of our sport in international popularity and competition,” said Pat McDonough, USA Cycling director of track cycling.
Top performing riders include Josiah Ng, Rizal Mohd Tisin, and Alias Norazian of Malaysia, Toshiaki Fushimi, Masaki Inoue, Tomohiro Nagatsuka, Kazuya Narita, Kei Uchida, Kazunari Watanabe, and Yusho Oikawa of Japan, Fang Tian, Shuang Guo, Yonghua Jiang and Yunmei Wu of China, and King Wai Cheung, Kam-Po Wong Kin Chung Wong, and Wan Yiu Wong of Hong Kong. In the 2004-05 UCI Track World Cup season, Shuang Guo of China was a common site on female sprint event podiums while the Japanese team sprint squad continued their string of top-level international performances. Josiah Ng, a Malaysian with dual citizenship in the United States and Malaysia, has also returned to prominence after an injury dashed his medal hopes at the 2004 Olympic Games.
Track cycling is not a new sport to Asian countries. In fact, the keirin, an Olympic and world championship event, originated in Japan and remains very popular. However, in the past there have only been a few riders that have broken through to be competitive on the world circuit. Of special note is Kolchi Nakano of Japan who won an amazing ten world sprint championships in a row from 1977-1986. At the Olympic Games, Asian countries have only recently been competitive winning three of their five track cycling medals in the 2000 and 2004 games. The depth of Asian nation’s programs is obvious by the recent trend towards consistent medal performances at international events by their athletes.
At the 2005 UCI Track Cycling World Championships to be held at the ADT Event Center velodrome March 24-27, 2005 just outside of Los Angeles in Carson, Calif., there is likely to be more than one breakthrough performance for Asian athletes.
The addition of the Pacific Rim Sports Summit to be held June 7-12, 2005, in Seattle, Wash, is also sure to show the growing presence of Asian countries in the world of track cycling. The Pacific Rim Sports Summit is officially billed as the “Road to Beijing” and is an Olympic-festival type event featuring nine sports, nine countries and 900 athletes. Invited nations include China, Japan, Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Russia, Canada, Mexico and the United States. For more information, visit www.pacificrimsportssummit.com.
For more information on the 2005 UCI Track Cycling World Championships March 24-27, visit the USA Cycling website at www.usacycling.org.
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), the National Collegiate Cycling Association, and the U.S. Professional Racing Organization (professional men’s road). For more information, visit www.usacycling.org or contact USA Cycling Director of Communications, Andy Lee at 719-866-4867.
About Jacob Burns, Inc.
Jacob Burns, Inc., is a design, marketing and public relations firm that specializes in interactive design. The base of the organization is set in three central principles including: simple designs are more effective than complex ones, designs must integrate with the marketing plan and promote continuity, and designs must be easily understood and take into account target demographic capabilities. For more information visit www.jacobburns.com or call 610.730.7349.
This Article Published March 16, 2005 For more information contact:
