Rebecca Twigg
Encyclopedia
Rebecca Twigg is an American
former racing cyclist, who won six world track cycling championship
s in the individual pursuit
. She also won 16 US championships (the first - the individual time trial - when she was 18) and two Olympic medals, the Silver medal in the 1984 road race in Los Angeles
, and a Bronze medal in the pursuit in Barcelona
in 1992.
Twigg won the first three editions of the Women's Challenge
on the road.
Twigg was a three-time Olympian (1984, 1992, and 1996). However, her final Olympic appearance, in Atlanta in 1996, ended in controversy when she quit the team in a disagreement with the coach Chris Carmichael and the U.S. Cycling Federation. The federation had invested in the development of the so-called SuperBike". Twigg, after using the bike earlier in the Games, refused to ride it, citing poor individual fit and claiming that pressure from the staff on her to use the SuperBike and their refusal to grant accreditation to her personal coach, Eddie Borysewicz
, left her defocused.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
former racing cyclist, who won six world track cycling championship
World Championship of Track Cycling (women)
The women's UCI Track Cycling World Championships are the world championship events for track cycling and are administered by the Union Cycliste Internationale, the governing body for sport cycling worldwide. The world championships are held annually at various locations around the world. Track...
s in the individual pursuit
Individual pursuit
The individual pursuit is a track cycling event where two cyclists begin the race from a stationary position on opposite sides of the track.The event is held over 4 km for men and 3 km for women. The two riders start at the same time and set off to complete the race distance in the...
. She also won 16 US championships (the first - the individual time trial - when she was 18) and two Olympic medals, the Silver medal in the 1984 road race in Los Angeles
1984 Summer Olympics
The 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1984...
, and a Bronze medal in the pursuit in Barcelona
1992 Summer Olympics
The 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...
in 1992.
Twigg won the first three editions of the Women's Challenge
Women's Challenge
The Women's Challenge bicycle race was held annually in and around southern Idaho beginning in 1984 until its demise in 2002. During much of its 19 year history, it was the most prestigious women's cycle race in North America...
on the road.
Twigg was a three-time Olympian (1984, 1992, and 1996). However, her final Olympic appearance, in Atlanta in 1996, ended in controversy when she quit the team in a disagreement with the coach Chris Carmichael and the U.S. Cycling Federation. The federation had invested in the development of the so-called SuperBike". Twigg, after using the bike earlier in the Games, refused to ride it, citing poor individual fit and claiming that pressure from the staff on her to use the SuperBike and their refusal to grant accreditation to her personal coach, Eddie Borysewicz
Eddie Borysewicz
Edward 'Eddie B' Borysewicz is a cycling coach who brought the United States to world prominence, even though at first he barely spoke English. The US team, under his direction, won nine medals at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 1984...
, left her defocused.
External links
- Washington Post article on the controversy at the 1996 Olympic Games
- "Free Wheeling: Rebecca Twigg Has Never Pedaled With The Pack, And She Doesn't Plan To Start Now," Sports Illustrated July 26, 1996