News
Photo: Andy Jones
Kenny sets
sights on Euro
Champs after
racing return
John Woodhouseprinter Jason Kenny is
targeting selection for the
European Championships
in August after his return to racing
for the first time since Rio at the
Manchester round of Revolution
on Saturday.
Speaking to Cycling Weekly, the
six-time Olympic gold medallist
said the European Championships
in Glasgow in August were the
next major step in his plan to build
towards further Olympic golds in
Tokyo in 2020.
However, he added he may yet
have another hit out at the National
Championships at Manchester at
the end of this month.
“I want to be pushing to try to
get in the team for the Europeans,”
he told CW, “and that’s when
the Olympic qualification starts.
That’s when it’s time to get
serious. For now it’s quite early
doors. It’s about going through the
process of trying to get points so
I’m in a position where I can push
for the Europeans.”On his return to racing at
Revolution, where he placed
second in the sprint and the keirin,
he said: “It’s exciting, a different
sort of excitement. Usually my last
race would have been a month ago
whereas obviously now it’s been
quite a long time.
“This is the first step on the
road to Tokyo. I’ve worked hard
to go well here and then use that
as a springboard.”
Tokyo will be the 29-year-old’s
fourth Olympics, and his chance to
become Britain’s most successful
Olympian, but taking time out
of the sport means the early
approach to these Games will be
wholly different.
“When you’re in the system and
it’s rolling,” he explained, “it just
takes care of itself. Now I’m taking
a step back and thinking ‘OK, now
I need to go racing and get some
points’, as well as getting fast
enough for when it matters.”
Kenny, one half of a golden
couple with quadruple Olympic
champion wife Laura — also
looking to add to her medal tallyin Japan
— has
inevitably
seen his
training regime
changed since
the arrival of baby
Albert last August.
“It’s part of training
and part of being an
athlete,” he reflects.
“You’re always going to have
to train around something. You
always want more time, whether
it’s because of an injury niggle or
whatever... I’ve had to adapt to
just generally being more tired and
not being able to choose the times
when I want to train. We try to be
as flexible as possible and also you
learn to be very efficient with your
time and just focus.”
The good news for cycling fans
is that Kenny’s pursuit of points
means they’ll be seeing plenty of
him on the track in 2018.
“I’ll always be racing... I’ll be
travelling around a little bit doing
races in Germany and Europe just
to try to get some points.”British sprint ace gets quest for Tokyo
2020 rolling at Revolution track meet
6 | January 11, 2018 | Cycling Weekly