SHAW cyclist Matt Walls is celebrating after winning in a place in Team GB’s squad for the rescheduled Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
The former St Joseph’s and Crompton House pupil will be one of 16 members of the 26-strong GB cycling squad poised for an Olympic debut.
He is named in the endurance section of the team together with: Ed Clancy, Ethan Hayter, Ethan Vernon and Ollie Wood.
Clancy will be aiming to win his fourth Games’ team pursuit gold medal and is one of six Olympic champions in the squad alongside husband-and-wife duo, Jason and Laura Kenny.
Walls, 23, was third in the gruelling omnium at last year’s world championships and won the same event at the London World Cup event in 2018.
In the road events, twin brothers Adam and Simon Yates from Bury have been selected for the men’s road race, as have former Tour de France winner Geraint Thomas and Tao Geoghegan Hart, both of whom will also contest the men’s time trial event.
British Cycling Performance Director Stephen Park said: “I am incredibly excited by the squad we have selected to represent Team GB in Tokyo, and there will be plenty for British cycling fans to cheer for during the Olympic Games.
“We have six Olympic Champions bolstering our squad, with Geraint Thomas, Ed Clancy, Jason Kenny, Laura Kenny, Elinor Barker and Katie Archibald all very driven to add more medals to their palmares.
“At the other end of the spectrum, we pride ourselves on the strength of our pathway, and this is evident in the team we have selected with recent Academy graduates making our Olympic team.
“We are renowned for our domination in the track events and, while we have a realistic expectation that the rest of the world will be more competitive than ever this year, I am still extremely excited to see every single member of the track squad in the hunt for a medal in Tokyo.
“Everyone on the Great Britain Cycling Team is committed to doing the jersey proud, and this will be no different when we compete for Team GB at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.”