Aussie cyclists lead the pack in gold pursuit

Minister for Disability Reform Jenny Macklin, Minister for Sport Kate Lundy and Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Carers Jan McLucas today congratulated cyclist Felicity Johnson and pilot Stephanie Morton on winning gold in the women’s individual 1km time trial for B classification riders on day two at the London Paralympics.

The tandem pair claimed Australia’s third gold medal in the Velodrome clocking a new Paralympic record time of 1:08.919.

Together the cycling pair have blitzed international track cycling, winning world championships and recording impressive time trials since they partnered in 2011.

The pair were last to compete but they powered home in the final laps to snatch victory and claim gold ahead of Great Britain’s cyclist Aileen McGlynn and pilot Helen Scott.

For visually-impaired cyclist Felicity the win is an improvement on her performance at the Beijing Games where she collected silver in the same event with pilot Katie Parker.

This strong result on day two continues Australia’s dominance in the Velodrome. We’re currently leading in the track cycling medal table with six medals, ahead of China.

The Gillard Government is working towards a future where all Australian children and adults with disability lead lives of dignity and opportunity.

We are providing $1 billion to deliver the first stage of a National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) to provide Australians with a disability the care and support they need, when they need it.

The Australian Government has also provided strong funding to support our Paralympic Team, committing over $13.7 million in 2011-12 for the Australian Paralympic Committee (APC) and $2.7 million in Direct Athlete Support (DAS) to help Australia’s Paralympic athletes reach their potential.