Simone Kennedy (cyclist)

Simone Kennedy
2016 Australian Paralympic team portrait of Kennedy
Personal information
NationalityAustralian
Born (1994-01-04) 4 January 1994 (age 30)
London, England
Sport
CountryAustralia
SportCycling
ClubParramatta Cycling Club
Medal record
Cycling
Paralympic Games
Silver medal – second place 2012 London Women's individual pursuit C1-3
UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2012 Los Angeles Women's 3km Individual Pursuit C3
Gold medal – first place 2012 Los Angeles Women's 500m Time Trial C3
Gold medal – first place 2017 Los Angeles Women's 3km Individual Pursuit C3
Bronze medal – third place 2014 Aguascalientes Women's 3km Individual Pursuit C3
Bronze medal – third place 2014 Aguascalientes Women's 500m Time Trial C3
Bronze medal – third place 2015 Appledorn Women's 3km Individual Pursuit C3
Bronze medal – third place 2015 Appledorn Women's 500m Time Trial C3
Bronze medal – third place 2016 Montichiari Women's 3km Individual Pursuit C3
UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships
Bronze medal – third place 2015 Nottwil Women's Time Trial C3
Bronze medal – third place 2015 Nottwil Women's Road Race C3

Simone Kennedy (born 4 January 1994) is an Australian cyclist. She represented Australia at the 2012 Summer Paralympics and won a silver medal in the individual pursuit C1-3. She represented Australia at the 2016 Rio Paralympics.[1]

Personal

Kennedy was born on 4 January 1994 in London, England.[2] She has cerebral palsy which affects the left side of her body.[3][4] She attended Tara Anglican School for Girls and she credits the teachers at the school in encouraging her to become involved in disability sport.[5] In 2016, she is studying a Bachelor of Sports Coaching and Administration at the Australian College of Physical Education in Sydney.

Cycling

Kennedy at the 2012 London Paralympics

Kennedy is a C3 classified cyclist.[2][4] She is a member of the Parramatta Cycling Club.

Kennedy started cycling when she was a fifteen-year-old.[2] In 2012, she participated her first major international competition when she cycled in the UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships in Los Angeles, where she finished first in the C3 500-metre time trial and 3-kilometre individual pursuit.[3][6] She was selected to represent Australia at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in cycling's 3 km pursuit, the 500m time trial and two road roads.[4][7][8] In the lead up to the Paralympics, she participated in the Blenheim Palace festival of cycling time trial event.[9][10][11]

At the 2014 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships in Aguascalientes in Mexico, she won bronze medals in the Women's 3 km Individual Pursuit C3 and Women's 500m Time Trial C3.[12]

Kennedy repeated her 2014 medal results at the 2015 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships in Appledorn in Netherlands by winning bronze medals in the Women's 500m Time Trial C3 and Women's 3 km Individual Pursuit C3.[13][14]

At the 2015 UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships Nottwil, Switzerland, she won a bronze medal in the Women's Time Trial C3.[15] and Women's Road Race C3.[16]

At the 2016 Rio Paralympics, she competed in four events. Her best results were eight in the Women's individual pursuit C1-3 and Women's road race C1-3.[17]

Kennedy won the gold medal in the Women's 3 km Individual Pursuit at the 2017 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships, Los Angeles, United States.[18]

At the 2017 UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, she finished fifth in the Women's Time Trial C3 and fifth in the Women's Road Race C1-3.[19] In 2016, she is a New South Wales Institute of Sport scholarship holder.[20]

References

  1. ^ Walsh, Scott (30 May 2016). "Five-time gold medallist Kieran Modra facing unusual 'first' in storied Paralympics career". Adelaide Advertiser. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  2. ^ a b c "Simone Kennedy". Cycling Australia. Retrieved 14 August 2012.
  3. ^ a b Jade Wittman (23 February 2012). "Simone's Paralympics dream is closer". Blacktown Sun. Archived from the original on 1 April 2012. Retrieved 14 August 2012.
  4. ^ a b c "Simone Kennedy". Australia: Australian Paralympic Committee. 2012. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
  5. ^ "Simone Kennedy". Australian Paralympic Committee website. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
  6. ^ "Para-Cyclones Golden Finish to Worlds Campaign". Au.ibtimes.com. 16 February 2012. Archived from the original on 3 January 2013. Retrieved 14 August 2012.
  7. ^ Howlett, Scott. "Good luck, magnificent seven Olympians". Northern District Times. Retrieved 14 August 2012.
  8. ^ "Parramatta's Paralympians farewelled in Sydney — Local News — News — General". Parramatta Sun. Archived from the original on 30 December 2012. Retrieved 14 August 2012.
  9. ^ Nigel Wynn (19 July 2012). "GB and Australian Paralympic squads warm up at Blenheim Palace | Latest News". Cycling Weekly. Retrieved 14 August 2012.
  10. ^ "Preview: Bike Blenheim Palace". British Cycling. Retrieved 14 August 2012.
  11. ^ Harker, Jonathon. "Team GB and Australia's Paralympians heading to Bike Blenheim Palace". Bicycle Business. Archived from the original on 23 April 2014. Retrieved 14 August 2012.
  12. ^ "Australia finishes Para Track Worlds as top nation". Cycling Australia News. Retrieved 14 April 2014.
  13. ^ "Triple medal treat on opening day of Para Track Worlds". Cycling Australia News, 27 March 2015. Retrieved 7 May 2015.
  14. ^ "Gallagher & Powell defend world titles; Australia claims four medals on day three". Cycling AustraliaNews, 29 March 2015. Retrieved 7 May 2015.
  15. ^ "Cooke and Bridgwood claim gold at UCI Para-cycling World Championships". Cycling Australia News, 31 July 2015. Archived from the original on 11 March 2016. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
  16. ^ "Alistair Donohue defends world title at Para-cycling Road Worlds". Cycling Australia News, 2 August. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
  17. ^ "Simone Kennedy". Rio Paralympics Official site. Archived from the original on 15 November 2016. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
  18. ^ "2017 Para-Cycling Track World Championships". Veloresults website. Archived from the original on 6 March 2017. Retrieved 5 March 2017.
  19. ^ "2017 UCI Para-cycling World Championships wrap". Australian Paralympic Committee website. Retrieved 4 September 2017.
  20. ^ "Five NSWIS Para-cyclists pedalling towards Rio". New South Wales Institute of Sport website. 31 May 2016. Retrieved 2 June 2016.[permanent dead link]