AUSTRALIA has set itself a target of winning five to seven medals in Rio next month, and up to three gold, after yesterday announcing the team it hopes will lead it to Olympic redemption.
The cycling team has won just one gold medal from the past two Olympics in London and Beijing which have been dominated by Great Britain that has won 16.
But Cycling Australia (CA) has used its new strategic vision document to reveal it is aiming to surpass the six medals won in 2012 with genuine gold medal hopes on the track, road and BMX in Brazil.
The team for Rio will include at least 11 Olympic debutants but that number could rise if athletes in the men’s mountain bike and women's road programs successfully appeal against their non-selection.
CA would not reveal which riders had launched appeals but confirmed the two cases would be heard by an independent panel in Melbourne today and a resolution was expected in days.
Thee were few surprises in the 25-person team named yesterday which includes:
DUAL Olympic gold medallist Anna Meares for her fourth Games where she will ride all three events — the team sprint, sprint and keirin — alongside Stephanie Morton who won gold at the 2012 Paralympics as a pilot rider.
TOUR de France stars Richie Porte and Rohan Dennis — who will contest both the road race and time trial in Rio — as well as Simon Gerrans. A fourth rider, who will serve as a domestique in the road race, is expected to come from the mountain bike program.
BROTHER and sister Alex and Annette Edmondson who take the total number of siblings on Australia’s Olympic team to eight.
