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Cycling Preview featured in the Olympian Magazine

Summer issue

The U.S. Paralympic Cycling Team hopes to hold its current ranking as No. 1 in the world by winning gold in Athens. The team is made up 18 cyclists, three of whom are pilots for the visually-impaired athletes. 

Team captain Ron Williams is headed for the Games for the second time. Although he didn’t medal in Sydney, since then he’s won two able-bodied state titles and captured six national titles in Paralympic competition, as well as three silver and three bronze medals in the World Championships. 

Another veteran on the cycling team is Matt King, a three-time Paralympian and one of the best tandem cyclists in the world. He previously competed in the 2000 Sydney and 1996 Atlanta Games, where he set a world record during the quarterfinals in the 4,000 m tandem men’s pursuit. King, who is totally blind, and pilot Eric Degolier will face some tough competition in Athens, but have a good chance of making it to the medal podium.

Paralympian Allison Jones was both without a right femur, but that hasn’t stopped her from achieving great success in athletics. Jones competed in the 2002 Paralympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City, where she medaled in two events (gold in slalom and silver in SG/GS). This summer she will compete in several cycling events during the Paralympic Games in Athens:  kilo time trial, individual time trial on the road and the open women’s road race.