On the opening day of action at the 2025 UCI Para- cycling Track World Championships in Rio, Tandem B Team Sprint quartet Jessica Gallagher and pilot Jacqui Mengler-Mohr together with Kane Perris and pilot Luke Zaccaria joined the world record club in their qualifying, laying down a heater 49.641 performance.
They would break their new marker in the gold medal final versus Italy, dropping the world record to 49.288 enroute to rainbow jerseys.
Jess said ‘It’s incredibly special to be back in a rainbow jersey and to stand alongside Jac, Kane and Luke receiving their first rainbows.
Last year when Kane and Luke crashed in the qualification due to circumstances outside of their control, it was heartbreaking, particularly given their injuries, so the motivation was high to take our opportunity today and show what we are capable of. Breaking the world record twice and a world championship in the one day still feels surreal!
I’m also incredibly proud of Jac, she won her first world championship in sprint canoe 30 years ago and to step onto the Australian women’s tandem eight months ago, commit to chasing this dream together, it’s been a privilege to race alongside her and share today’s memories.
All four of us have individual and collective meanings behind today’s rainbows so it’s a special day for all of us and our teams’.
Photo credit: Simon Wilkinson/ SWpix.com
Article content published by the Australian Cycling Team, 17/10/2025 (https://australiancyclingteam.com/)
