Team Ireland makes history qualifying Female Keirin spot in Rio

The UCI has confirmed that Team Ireland has qualified a Female Keirin spot in the Olympic Games in Rio - and while Ireland has had female cyclists on the road and in mountain biking, this is the first time that Ireland will field a female track cyclist.

The historic announcement was made at the end of a two year Olympic qualification process, which was made up of European Championship, World Cup and World Championship events. While Team Ireland has qualified the place, the selection of the rider will be ratified by the Olympic Council of Ireland in due course. The track cycling events in the Olympic Games take place from the 11th - 16th August in Rio.

The qualification of the Keirin spot was based on the consistent results of Shannon McCurley who applied herself well to earn this spot. McCurley previously won a bronze medal for Ireland in the Scratch Race at the European Under-23 Track Cycling Championships in Portugal in 2011. The Keirin is a 2km or eight lap race where a motorised bike, or derny, paces riders for the first 1.4km; gradually increasing the speed. The derny then pulls off leaving the riders to compete against each other. Usually in a Keirin event there are heats and repechages where the riders compete to make it to the final 12. The medals are decided by the final six.

The qualification process for BMX is ongoing with Irish rider Kelvin Batey still in contention. Batey will be competing in the BMX World Championships in Medellín Colombia this May, after which the qualification slots will be announced by UCI.