Audrey McElmury
Encyclopedia
Audrey McElmury was the first American to win the world road cycling championship. She won in Brno
, Czechoslovakia
in 1969, having fallen and remounted her bike. Hers was the United States
' first world cycling championship since Frank Kramer won the professional sprint race in 1912.
, where her first sport was surfing
. She began cycling after breaking her leg after falling from a skate board in 1960. She won the Californian cycling championship in 1964, riding on velodrome
s because there was no other racing for women. She trained with men on the road, getting up at 4.30am for the first of two daily rides. She said the regime ended her marriage.
She won the national pursuit title and the first national road championship in 1966.
in 1968 and finished fifth in a race that ended in a sprint. She was picked again for the championship in Czechoslovakia
the following year. The American cycling federation did not have the money to pay all the fares for the three women. It cost her $10,000 with fares, lodging and meals. Writers Alice Kovler and James McCullagh said: "The argument against funding women was based essentially on the fact that there were so few of them competing, and the dues paid by these [to the national federation] amounted to very little.
The races were held on the anniversary of the Soviet Union
's occupation of the country after the Prague Spring
. The cycling historian Peter Nye wrote:
McElmury rode both track and road. She came seventh in the 3,000m pursuit
race, then later rode the 62 km road race. She said:
McElmury regained the field on the last lap and then went clear again on the hill. She finished 1m 10s ahead of a British rider, Bernadette Swinnerton
. Her victory was so unexpected that the award ceremony was delayed half an hour while officials searched for a recording of the American national anthem.
When McElmury returned to the USA, a local television reporter wanted to know less about her world championship than the anniversary of the Russian invasion. Other coverage was also scant. In France
, Miroir du Cyclisme predicted a rise in the prominence of American women cyclists with a cartoon that changed the graffiti "US go home!" to "US go femme!"
James McCullagh wrote:
In 1969 she won the national omnium championship, in 1970 the pursuit and road championships. She set the national hour record, 24.8 miles at the Encino velodrome
in California and held it from 1969 to 1990. McElmury retired from cycling after a crash in 1976 and took up running. She and husband Micharl Levonas continued to coach cyclists and triathletes in San Diego until they left the area.
McElmury has a degree in zoology
from the University of California
in San Diego. She has a son, Ian, born in 1967. She was inducted to the United States Bicycling Hall of Fame
in 1989. Her World Champion 1969 Berry bicycle is presently on loan to the Hall of Champions in San Diego, CA.
Brno
Brno by population and area is the second largest city in the Czech Republic, the largest Moravian city, and the historical capital city of the Margraviate of Moravia. Brno is the administrative centre of the South Moravian Region where it forms a separate district Brno-City District...
, Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
in 1969, having fallen and remounted her bike. Hers was the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
' first world cycling championship since Frank Kramer won the professional sprint race in 1912.
Background
Audrey McElmury grew up in La Jolla, CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, where her first sport was surfing
Surfing
Surfing' is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides a surfboard on the crest and face of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore...
. She began cycling after breaking her leg after falling from a skate board in 1960. She won the Californian cycling championship in 1964, riding on velodrome
Velodrome
A velodrome is an arena for track cycling. Modern velodromes feature steeply banked oval tracks, consisting of two 180-degree circular bends connected by two straights...
s because there was no other racing for women. She trained with men on the road, getting up at 4.30am for the first of two daily rides. She said the regime ended her marriage.
She won the national pursuit title and the first national road championship in 1966.
Cycling career
McElmury rode the world championship in RomeRome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
in 1968 and finished fifth in a race that ended in a sprint. She was picked again for the championship in Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
the following year. The American cycling federation did not have the money to pay all the fares for the three women. It cost her $10,000 with fares, lodging and meals. Writers Alice Kovler and James McCullagh said: "The argument against funding women was based essentially on the fact that there were so few of them competing, and the dues paid by these [to the national federation] amounted to very little.
The races were held on the anniversary of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
's occupation of the country after the Prague Spring
Prague Spring
The Prague Spring was a period of political liberalization in Czechoslovakia during the era of its domination by the Soviet Union after World War II...
. The cycling historian Peter Nye wrote:
Tanks were everywhere, up and down every street, and soldiers were armed with machine guns. The Czechs were anti-communist and pro-American.; they cheered the U.S. riders wildly in the races and booed the RussiansRussiansThe Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
. When the Russians won, the Czechs even walked out of the medal ceremonies.
McElmury rode both track and road. She came seventh in the 3,000m pursuit
Pursuit
Pursuit may refer to:In aircraft:*Rans S-11 Pursuit, lifting body style light aircraft designIn cars:*Pontiac G5, formerly called Pontiac PursuitIn film and television:*Pursuit , a 1950s anthology...
race, then later rode the 62 km road race. She said:
McElmury regained the field on the last lap and then went clear again on the hill. She finished 1m 10s ahead of a British rider, Bernadette Swinnerton
Bernadette Swinnerton
Bernadette Swinnerton was an English racing cyclist. She came second in the 1969 world road championship in Czechoslovakia, 1m 10s behind Audrey McElmury....
. Her victory was so unexpected that the award ceremony was delayed half an hour while officials searched for a recording of the American national anthem.
When McElmury returned to the USA, a local television reporter wanted to know less about her world championship than the anniversary of the Russian invasion. Other coverage was also scant. In France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Miroir du Cyclisme predicted a rise in the prominence of American women cyclists with a cartoon that changed the graffiti "US go home!" to "US go femme!"
James McCullagh wrote:
Not surprisingly, she received more attention in Europe than she did in America. Europeans understood and appreciated her ride. Accordingly, she was immediately engaged by the Italian team, to ride for them and eventually coach them. Returning to this country [USA], McElmury still found it difficult to obtain travel expenses even though she was a strong enough rider to hold her own on the criteriumCriteriumA criterium, or crit, is a bike race held on a short course , often run on closed-off city center streets....
circuit with the best American men, usually finishing in the top ten.
In 1969 she won the national omnium championship, in 1970 the pursuit and road championships. She set the national hour record, 24.8 miles at the Encino velodrome
Velodrome
A velodrome is an arena for track cycling. Modern velodromes feature steeply banked oval tracks, consisting of two 180-degree circular bends connected by two straights...
in California and held it from 1969 to 1990. McElmury retired from cycling after a crash in 1976 and took up running. She and husband Micharl Levonas continued to coach cyclists and triathletes in San Diego until they left the area.
Personal life
McElmury married two cyclists, first Scott McElmury whom she met in 1958, when she was 15, and, in 1971, Michael Levonas. She and Levonas studied for business degrees at the University of Denver and worked in Mountain Home, Idaho for the Mountain Home school food service. They live in West Yellowstone. The two wrote a book, Bicycle Training for Triathletes *and Others. Audrey is featured in a chapter devoted to her in the track cycling reference "NO BRAKES! Bicycle Track Racing in the United States".McElmury has a degree in zoology
Zoology
Zoology |zoölogy]]), is the branch of biology that relates to the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct...
from the University of California
University of California
The University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University...
in San Diego. She has a son, Ian, born in 1967. She was inducted to the United States Bicycling Hall of Fame
United States Bicycling Hall of Fame
The United States Bicycling Hall of Fame, located in Davis, California, is a private organization formed to preserve and promote the sport of cycling.-Location:...
in 1989. Her World Champion 1969 Berry bicycle is presently on loan to the Hall of Champions in San Diego, CA.