British Cycling is delighted to announce that Australia’s four-time world champion Kaarle McCulloch will join the Great Britain Cycling Team as its new Podium Women’s Sprint Coach.

McCulloch retired from racing in November 2021 after a glittering 15-year career which saw her collect four world titles, three Commonwealth titles and an Olympic bronze for Australia.

Despite struggling with injury in the lead-up to the Tokyo Olympic Games she progressed to the semi-finals of the keirin and was defeated by eventual winner Kelsey Mitchell of Canada in the individual sprint.

Kaarle will support the team’s ongoing development towards Paris and LA at an exciting time for women’s sprinting, following a historic team sprint bronze for the Great Britain Cycling Team at the 2021 UCI Track Cycling World Championships in Roubaix.

The role replaces that previously filled by Jan van Eijden, who left the team in November 2021 to take up the role of Head Coach for the German Cycling Federation, and Kaarle will officially join the team in April after relocating to the UK.

Ahead of today’s announcement, she said:

“I am very excited about the opportunity to join the Great Britain Cycling Team as the Podium Women's Sprint Coach. After 15 years at the highest level as an athlete and being a part of the evolution of the sport, I feel I have a lot to offer both the athletes and my colleagues on the staff.

“I have always appreciated coaches' impact on my career and on myself as a person. I hope to make the best of what I have learned from all the people I have come into contact with over the years, put it together in my own way, and positively impact the athletes and staff that I will work alongside.

“I resonated strongly with the direction that British Cycling is heading as we work towards Paris 2024 and long-term to Los Angeles 2028 and beyond, and I look forward to joining the team soon and getting started.”

British Cycling Performance Director, Stephen Park CBE, said:

“I’m delighted to welcome Kaarle to the coaching team following an exceptional career on the bike, and I know that her experience and understanding of top-level racing will be of huge benefit to our current crop of sprinters as they build towards their ambitions for Paris and LA, following the excellent progress made over recent years.

“As a team we know that developing great coaches is just as important as developing great riders, and we look forward to supporting Kaarle and providing her with opportunities to learn and hone her craft in the years ahead.”