GEORGIA Baker can see the irony of her final Olympic training camp being in Los Angeles.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Perth 21-year-old attended the official naming of Australia’s Olympic cycling team in Adelaide on Tuesday but will soon join fellow Tasmanian Amy Cure for the last stage of preparation in Los Angeles.
The Californian city was the destination of Tasmania’s first Olympic gold medal, in the same team pursuit event, by Baker’s boyfriend Ben Grenda’s father Michael in 1984.
“It is a coincidence but also pretty cool,” Baker said.
“To have Michael having been through that experience is pretty cool and I hope I can do Tasmania proud as well.”
Baker and Cure, 23, of West Pine, join Launceston road rider Richie Porte, 31, in Tasmania’s largest ever Olympic cycling contribution.
And there could be further good news with Hobart mountain biker Scott Bowden, 21, still a chance to join them.
Australia has qualified two men for the mountain bike competition in Rio, but the Australian Olympic Committee said the team would not be named until an appeal had been resolved.
If Bowden is selected, cycling would have doubled Tasmania’s Olympic representation in Rio de Janeiro, following the previous confirmations of hockey players Eddie Ockenden and Tim Deavin, rower Kerry Hore and javelin thrower Hamish Peacock.
Tasmanian Institute of Sport director Paul Austen was delighted for the athletes selected.
“This is a fantastic result for our cyclists,” he said.
“It is terrific to see the two girls selected after the tremendous amount of hard work they have put in.
“And it is really good for Tasmanian cycling to see Richie Porte representing Australia at the Olympics.”
Porte and his BMC teammate Rohan Dennis, of South Australia, will contest both the 256-kilometre road race on August 6 and the the time trial four days later which features two laps of a 29.8km course. Victorian Simon Gerrans will also contest the road race.