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Australia’s Para cyclists have returned from the Para Cycling Track World Championships in Apeldoorn, the Netherlands, with 21 medals, including seven gold, following four days of outstanding performances across the track.
The 13-strong Australian team finished second on the medal table behind Great Britain, securing nine silver and five bronze medals, alongside their seven world titles.
Australia’s ‘Rainbow Queen’ Tara Neyland continued her extraordinary rise in Para cycling, collecting gold in the women’s C4 scratch and elimination races, alongside silver in the kilometre time trial and sprint. Since making her competitive Para cycling debut in January 2025, the 32-year-old Victorian has amassed seven world titles, accumulating rainbow jerseys at a pace few athletes could contemplate, let alone achieve.
Korey Boddington was similarly prolific, winning the men’s C4 kilometre time trial in 1:02.672 before adding the sprint world title. The Paris 2024 Paralympic champion completed his three-gold campaign in the mixed team sprint alongside Caitlin Ward and Maxwell Sudholz.
For Ward, the championships marked another significant chapter in a cycling career that has taken her from tandem pilot to individual world champion. Having previously represented Australia as a pilot for Paralympian Jessica Gallagher, the Victorian claimed bronze in the women’s C5 kilometre time trial before securing sprint gold, then added a second world title in the mixed team sprint.
Sudholz also made an immediate impression on his Australian Cycling Team debut, earning silver medals in the men’s C3 sprint and kilometre time trial. The Canberran’s first world championships ultimately yielded three medals, including team sprint gold.
Australia’s tandem combinations featured prominently, with Kane Perris and pilot Luke Zaccaria claiming silver in the men’s B sprint after defeating compatriots Beau Wootton and pilot Byron Davies in an all-Australian semi final.
Perris and Zaccaria finished behind Great Britain’s James Ball and Aaron Pope in the gold medal contest, while Wootton and Davies defeated Germany to secure bronze. Competing at their first world championships since 2023, Wootton and Davies had already collected bronze in the kilometre time trial, completing their return to the international stage with two medals.
Tahlia Clayton-Goodie added three medals to Australia’s tally, winning gold in the women’s C1 elimination race and silver in the sprint and kilometre time trial. She also finished fifth overall in the combined C1–2 scratch race, placing second among C1 competitors.
Elsewhere, Gordon Allan claimed silver in the men’s C2 sprint, while fellow Paralympic champion Darren Hicks secured bronze in the elimination race. Alistair Donohoe completed Australia’s individual medal haul with bronze in the men’s C5 scratch race.
Australia’s final world title came in the mixed team sprint, where Ward, Sudholz and Boddington combined to defeat Great Britain by 1.145 seconds. Having topped qualifying, the trio improved their time to 48.206 seconds in the final, securing Australia’s seventh gold medal of the championships.
Photo: Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI)
Paralympics Australia is only able to continue doing its work driving the Paralympic Movement forward in Australia because of the generous support it receives from Government, Corporate Partners and donors.
The focus continues to be on delivering teams to each Summer and Winter Paralympic Games and supporting Para athletes as they enter and progress through the Para sport system and into their post-sporting careers.
Your Para Sport Journey
Begins Here
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