Aimee Dickson has set a new Irish track record just months after breaking the flying 200m Irish junior marker at a race in Wales.
The 17-year-old, in just her second cycling season, posted a time of 33.893 seconds for the flying 500m. She beat Cycling Ireland’s benchmarks of 37.4 for junior women, and 34.0 for elite level riders, at the Newport indoor velodrome in south Wales.
However, as she is a junior, her time is not allowed to count as a senior record. Cycling Ireland has confirmed her new junior record, which Dickson told stickybottle she was delighted with.
"I have high hopes for this year. It's my last year in the junior category and I want to prove myself. The main event is the Junior National Championships in May, and whatever follows that," she said. "Ultimately, I want to represent Ireland, that is the big goal for me and juniors could be my chance to step up to that level.
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"The record attempt was a bit of fun before race season starts. When I finished the effort and looked up at the screen I just couldn’t stop smiling. To do this before the season even starts has got me excited for the racing ahead. It shows that all the hard work over the winter is paying off, and proves to myself and others that I can succeed as a sprinter.
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"I had done a few 500 efforts in training in recent weeks. I was confident I could claim the junior record. I didn’t want to think too much about the elite record, but I knew I had a shot at it. And since I had no races in my calendar for a few months, we saw an opportunity to schedule an official attempt," she said.
"I know it isn’t the highest profile entry in the record book. But I hope it demonstrates the progress I have been making through the winter, and keeps me on the Irish national coaches’ radar. I lost a year’s worth of opportunities to build my experience and my reputation, thanks to Covid.
"So I have to look for ways to make up for that. I’ll be more than happy if some of the elite women are tempted to take up the challenge, and try to beat me. A bit of healthy competition will drive us all forward."
Dickson is based in Berkshire, close to Reading, and has declared for Ireland through her father, Simon, who is from Co Down. He is also a track rider and medaled in the Irish masters track championships last year.
Dickson is coached by multiple world champion, Pete Mitchell of Black Line. Having graduated from Reading’s Palmer Park Velo club, which is mainly for youth riders, she is currently competing as an unattached rider.
She is in her first year of A-Levels at the local school, Kennet School, in Thatcham. Her studies include Physical Education, a component of which is assessment of performance in her sport of choice.
