USA Cycling announced today its nominees to the 2007 United States Pan American Games Team. Ten athletes have accepted their nominations and are expected to represent the United States in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, July 13-29.
The United States will compete in all Olympic disciplines of cycling – road, track, mountain bike and BMX – with a mixture of accomplished veterans and young talent.
In the mountain bike competition, Todd Wells (Durango, Colo./GT Hyundai) and Adam Craig (Bend, Ore./Giant) will represent the men’s squad, while defending Pan Am Games silver medalist Mary McConneloug (Chilmark, Mass./Kenda-Seven) will be the sole women’s athlete.
Ranked 14th and 20th respectively, Wells and Craig are the two highest-ranked Americans in the world and will look to secure additional international ranking points for the United States at the UCI-sanctioned Category-1 event. The United States is currently ranked fifth in the world in men’s mountain biking behind France, Switzerland, Spain and Belgium. A country’s international ranking is the primary factor in determining the number of start positions it receives at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing next summer.
For Wells and Craig, the 2007 Pan American Games will be their first.
Ranked sixth in the world, McConneloug’s participation in her second Pan Am Games will help the U.S. women retain its position near the top of the international rankings. Currently, the U.S. is ranked second to China.
With no international ranking implications for other disciplines, the U.S. will be sending a small road and track contingent that consists of Kim Geist (Emmaus, Pa./Team Lipton), Ben Barczewski (Allentown, Pa.) and Andy Lakatosh (Trexlertown, Pa.).
With only one women’s road spot qualified for the United States, Geist, 19, will compete in the time trial event. The 21-time USA Cycling Junior National Champion and two-time junior track world championship medalist will be making her Pan Am Games debut in 2007.
On the track, the U.S. qualified two men’s sprint slots that will be filled by Barczewski and Lakatosh, both of whom will compete in the match sprint and keirin events.
In the newest addition to the Pan Am Games program, four athletes will represent the U.S. in BMX – Brandon Meadows (Sacramento, Calif.), Jason Richardson (Carlsbad, Calif.), Krystal Hime (San Antonio, Texas) and Rachel Smith (Gahanna, Ohio).
The recent winner of the inaugural USA Cycling BMX National Championships on June 9, Hime is one of the top Olympic hopefuls for the United States and is currently the top-ranked American in the world in ninth. Smith is ranked 13th in the world and is one of the three women’s BMX athletes that has the United States ranked third in the world.
On the men’s side, Richardson’s résumé boasts a pair of fourth-place finishes at UCI World Championships in 2001 and 2003. Meadows is currently ranked sixth in USA Cycling’s BMX Rankings and is a two-time X Games gold medalist.
All nominees are subject to approval by the United States Olympic Committee Board of Directors.
2007 Pan American Games – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
July 13-29
U.S. Team:
Road
Kim Geist (Emmaus, Pa.)
Track
Ben Barczewski (Allentown, Pa.)
Andy Lakatosh (Trexlertown, Pa.)
Mountain Bike
Todd Wells (Durango, Colo.)
Adam Craig (Bend, Ore.)
Mary McConneloug (Chilmark, Mass.)
BMX
Brandon Meadows (Sacramento, Calif.)
Jason Richardson (Carlsbad, Calif.)
Krystal Hime (San Antonio, Texas)
Rachel Smith (Gahanna, Ohio)
