Sport
6 May, 2025
Teen cycling sensation
CAIRNS-BORN cycling superstar Siena Goulding has smashed a national record in the under-15 individual pursuit 2000m at the Australian Track Cycling Nationals by three seconds in March as she continues to sprint into history.
At only 13-years-old, Miss Goulding is unstoppable. The teen keeps collecting wins under her belt with the Goulburn Workers Junior Tour in NSW and the Australian Track Cycling Nationals in Brisbane being her latest victories.
In Brisbane she reached new heights after breaking the national record in individual pursuit 2000m in the under-15 category by three seconds at 2:35:982.
Although Miss Goulding moved to Brisbane in early 2024 to save in travel costs, she told Cairns Local News these victories were always dedicated to Cairns.
“There’s no place like home and there’s nothing like climbing up Copperlode Dam or riding down the Barron Gorge,” she said.
“And I want other people in Cairns to know they can make it, even if I had stayed I know I would have made it.
“We headed to the Australian National Track Championships in Brisbane this March and I was competing in six races.
“My first race was the 2000m individual pursuit which is eight laps of the 250m course and I had to compete in qualifying against another opponent who was positioned on the opposite side of the track.
“I managed to catch my opponent and also broke the national record by three seconds and that put me in a really good position and I made it to the gold final.
“It was definitely a big moment because I knew I was able to do it, I knew I just had to believe in myself but when I was racing it just went so fast that I didn’t even realise I’d broken it until I looked up at the scoreboard,” she said.
Her father and coach Clinton Goulding said this had been one year in the making.
“As Siena’s coach we made a decision in January of 2024 that we would target the individual pursuit because we knew there was capacity there to grow,” he said.
“We tested how we were going and we knew we were very close. We went into state titles looking at testing the theory, testing times and ultimately it would come down to nationals.
“The original time was 2:38 and she said she wanted to break it by three seconds, and she did. This was one year in the making.”
Miss Goulding said her long-term goals continued to be becoming an Olympian and being one of the first women to ride in the Tour de France, but for now she would continue to grow in the sport.
“I have the State Road Cycling Championships in July and nationals in September. We’re also looking to go for a competition overseas, probably in July as well,” she said.
“I just want to do the best I can in all the events that I have, learn from my mistakes and learn from my competitors and races. I think that’s my biggest goal right now.”
