The track world championships has a long an illustrious history dating back 122 years. The 2016 UCI Track World Championships in London will be the latest chapter in this rich story, which began in the USA in the 19th century. We’ve picked out five pivotal moments from a British perspective.
1. The first ever track world championships took place from 11-12 August 1893 in Chicago and was an event exclusively for amateurs. The event was dominated by American riders, with George E. Osmond the only British competitor.
2. The first time the event came to Britain was 1897, when Glasgow’s Celtic Park hosted the event. Back then both amateurs and professionals were allowed to enter, a situation that continued until 1993.
3. Most successful nation in track world championships history is France, who have, so far, won 365 medals, 138 of them gold. Great Britain is the second most successful nation, with 95 gold medals from a total haul of 226.
4. Women first competed at the championships in 1958 in Paris. The women’s programme consisted of just the sprint and individual pursuit. Britain’s Jean Dunn took bronze in the women’s sprint, while Stella Bail and Kathleen Ray took silver and bronze in the pursuit.
5. London will be the eighth time that the track world championships have visited Britain. After Glasgow, London hosted the event in 1904. Then came a 66-year wait until Leicester’s Saffron Lane had the honour in 1970 and 1982. Fourteen years later, Manchester hosted the event in 1996, then again in 2000 and 2008.
