With the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games fast approaching, members of Australia’s High Performance squads are geared up for a key litmus test at this week’s 2018 Oceania Track Championships.
Having started on Monday in New Zealand, 40 Oceania titles will be decided in the elite and under-19s categories with more than 150 of Australia and New Zealand's best in action.
The sprint team is Matthew Glaetzer, Patrick Constable, Nathan Hart, Jacob Schmid, Steph Morton, Kaarle McCulloch and Holly Takos.
The event will provide the sprinters an opportunity to grab a direct nomination to the 2018 Commonwealth Games long team with a number of performance standards as outlined in the selection policy, as will events on December’s Austral Wheelrace program.
St George Cycling Club’s defending Oceania time trial and sprint champion McCulloch is eager to test her legs internationally.
“Oceanias will be an opportunity to see how I’ve progressed over the off-season since worlds and to see what I need to focus on and refine,” she said.
McCulloch returned to the World Championship podium last February with silver in the team sprint with Morton.
“Times and results next week are equally important and there is always a pressure to perform particularly for Commonwealth Games selection,” she said.
McCulloch moved from her Sydney base last month to permanently join her High Performance colleagues in Adelaide following the departure of her long-term coach Sean Eadie who has now taken a South Korean coaching position.
“It’s an exciting time and the Oceanias for me is a stepping stone to the Commonwealth Games, so my focus lies with nailing the processes that will allow me to win when it counts the most,” she said.
“But I always want to win.
“I love to race and that’s what I’m most looking forward to.”
