Jack's Story
South Australian Jack Bobridge made his Olympic debut at just 19 years of age. At the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games Bobridge competed in the team pursuit and finished in fourth place. Widely recognised as one of the most promising young Australian cyclists, by 21 Bobridge had already won an U/23 road time trial world title (2009), two senior track world titles (individual pursuit and teams pursuit 2010), two Commonwealth Games gold medals (individual pursuit, team pursuit 2010) and the 2011 Australian Road Race Championship.
He backed up what was his best year to date by setting a new world record at the 2011 Australian Track Championships in the individual pursuit. Bobridge continued on his winning ways as he defended both his world titles, the individual and team pursuits. 2012 was the first time in three years Bobrige was not crowned World Champion as he won two silvers in his favoured events.
With the individual pursuit not an Olympic event, Bobridge lined up alongside Glenn O’Shea, Rohan Dennis and Michael Hepburn in the teams pursuit at the London 2012 Games. The quartet qualified second fastest for the first round putting down a time of 3:55.694. The time was just over three seconds down on the Great British team that broke the World record in the process of clocking the fastest qualifying time.
The Aussies quickened to knock off the New Zealand team as they recorded a time of 3:54.317 and booked their spot in the final against the British. Bobridge and his team could not match it with the home team in the final as the British again broke their own world record with a time of 3:51.659 with the Australians posting a 3:54.581 to go home with the silver medal.
Splitting his time between his road and track careers, Bobridge won bronze in the team pursuit at the 2015 World Championships, won his first National Road Race Championship to kick off the Olympic year before missing the 2016 Track World Championships where Australia won gold.
He returned for a third and final Olympic campaign in Rio. Having sat out qualifying, Bobridge lined up in the first round where Australia defeated Denmark to set up a gold medal race against Great Britain. The British proved too strong as they broke the world record with Bobridge and the Aussies taking home the silver medal.
