Rider’s timing is perfect

By Gavin Staindl
BERWICK cyclist Courtney Field returned from last weekend’s Victorian Junior Track Championships with a swag of gold medals, but it was her winning times that got selectors talking.
Not only did Courtney, 13, claim gold in the under-15 500-metre and 200-metre sprint as well as winning the maximum amount of points in the 30-lap point race, she also smashed long-standing records in the process.
In the 500-metre time trial, Courtney annihilated an under-15 Australian record of 38.860 seconds that stood for nine years to etch her own time of 38.169 into the record books.
Also entering the record books was her time of 13.094 seconds in the flying 200-metre sprint that easily beat the 2008 under-15 national record of 13.310.
After her efforts at the championships and her dominance in the saddle last year, Courtney was called on to represent Victoria at the National Junior Track Championships in Sydney next month.
But despite being named the 2010 Jayco Junior Victorian road rider of the year for 2010 and winning a host of other events, it was at last weekend’s championships that Courtney felt she rode her best.
“I’m really happy because my name will be in the record books,” she said.
“When I was racing I didn’t think I was going fast enough (to break a record).
“You feel good when you’re riding but it’s not until you finish and pop your head up and see your time that you know how fast you were going.
“When I did look up I started crying. I was really happy.”
Courtney, who was originally a successful runner and triathlete before making the switch to the bike, has had a year to remember, taking out the 5km state championships and the Victorian hill climb championships as well as finishing second overall in the Australian junior mountainbike championships.
Courtney is now enjoying a well-deserved seven-day break away from cycling but in that time she intends to “relax and watch as many bike races as possible” to work on riding tactics.
The Year 8 Beaconhills student, who started back up at the Berwick campus this week, also said she wasn’t keen on returning to school because it meant less time riding her bike.
“If I’m at school it means I can’t train … I like my bike riding,” Courtney said.