Victoria PENDLETON

Vicki Pendleton’s grandparents were both keen cyclists, as were her parents. Her father Max raced competitively, and was a former National grass track champion. Vicky and her twin brother both started racing on grass. and at the age of 16 her potential was spotted by Marshall Thomas, the assistant team coach to the national track team. She did not concentrate on cycling completely at that time, but continued her studies at the Northumbria University. She then won the 800 metres national grass title three times 1998-2000 before turning to track racing, and the rest is history as Pendleton went on to become the top female track sprinter of the first decade of the 21st century. She won the world sprint title six times (2005, 2007-10, 2012), two team sprint titles (2007-08) and a keirin title (2007), as well as seven more World Championships medals. She also won the Olympic sprint title at the Beijing 2008 Games, where women’s keirin and team sprint were not on the program. She won the kierin and team sporint gold medals at the 2011 European Track Championships in 2011 and at the London Olympics in 2012 she was the first ever women’s Olympic kierin champion. However, two controversial decisions possibly cost her a chance of further golds, although she did win a silver in the individual sprint. Immediately after her last Olympic race Pendleton announced her retirement from the sport.