By JARROD POTTER
HER Christmas tree will be decorated with plenty of gold this year after Courtney Field brought home plenty from last week’s state cycling championships.
Field, 16, from Berwick, continued her rapid rise through the cycling ranks to add another trio of state championship medals to her already burgeoning trophy cabinet.
At the recently held Victorian Senior Track Cycling Championships, Field smashed in personal best times in her three gold medal winning rides – the junior-women under-19 500m time trial, the 200m sprint and the keirin.
“Just had states this weekend and it went pretty well – did PBs in all my events and the racing was pretty good,” Field said.
“It’s my first year in the age category, but I did race in it last year when I did the Youth Olympics – I was moved up an age category, which rarely happens.”
A hectic 2013, capped off by her Australian Youth Olympic Festival gold medals in the sprint women and team sprint, as well as a silver medal in the keirin, will hopefully pay dividends for an even bigger 2014 for the track cyclist.
Field’s hopes for the near future include making the Australian national team to compete at the Youth World Championships in South Korea in July next year.
It would help fulfil a dream for Field, who would love the opportunity to represent her country and if everything goes her way, win a rainbow jersey.
“Had a really heavy year, racing up an age group in most of my events and then just training all winter getting ready for this upcoming season,” Field said. “Hopefully I can get selected to go to South Korea for the Junior Worlds next year.”
“I’ll try to get ready for all my events if I get selected.
“The teams sprint – not sure who my partner would be but probably the New South Wales girl Bridget Mullany – the sprint, the keirin and the 500m time-trial.
“It would mean the world to me – all my hard effort and everything that I’ve sacrificed, it would just show off that everything I’ve done so far was worth it.”
Field’s achievements at the state championships earned her a spot on the Cycling Victoria team to participate at the 2014 Subaru Cycling Australia National Track Championships from January 29 to 1 February in Adelaide.Field wanted to thank her coach Hilton Clarke, the Victorian Institute of Sport, her parents and her club – Carnegie-Caulfield Cycling Club.
