Jason Kenny

 

July 19-23; Athens Olympic Velodrome

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One of the sprinters who made his mark at the Europeans and the Worlds last year was Jason Kenny. Since then he has been very busy at training camps as well as lots of racing events up and down the country and in Europe.

 

Asked about the difference between this year and last "this year we know a lot more about what to expect and what we're doing. All the riders have been given a rider information book which explains a lot which we didn't have last year."

Watching Jason at events, he comes across as a very assured young man who having had a lot of experience racing both domestically and internationally, shows no signs of nerves. So is he nervous? "A little bit. I feel more comfortable in the camps than I did at the start of the year because we hadn't done that much racing. Now we have done loads so now in a race, I feel I can relax and do my thing."

Jason then explained that it was good having Jan van Eijden on the track with him during the European Championships training camp. "Its good getting a riders view who can see what you see because I think a coach can only see so much from the side. Like when we do practical things on the track with him, you get to feel and experience it so you know what it should be like. So when you're in a race, you feel like you've been there before, what to do and what to expect rather than guessing or riding blind."

 

The pupil, Jason, shows his teacher, Jan van Eijden, just how fast he can go when pushed. 

Jason then talked about how ironic it is that this year he's being going really well on the big outdoor tracks where he now holds many track records but the European championships are on an indoor one, a rather special one having been used at the Athens Olympics which Jason says will be good to race on.

"It will obviously be good to ride it like when I've done training sessions with Chris or Jason and I've asked them about it, they do get pretty excited about it. And if I come away with some Golds, then yeah, it will be the best track in the world".

He then says he has become better at going from track to track and adapting to them quickly. But about events? Jason says he doesn't mind which event he does saying that his favourite is whatever event he's winning at (like his track obviously!) and having improved technically and also riding two tenths quicker over the 200 metres, he feels more confident going into the championships than he did last year. Jason also says he has improved his personal best for the Kilo and there are specific areas of his sprint he has improved as well like his jump and the length of his sprint.