Shane Perkins
Encyclopedia
Biography
Perkins was born in MelbourneMelbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, the son of Daryl Perkins
Daryl Perkins
-Biography:Perkins was born and lives in the state of Victoria, Australia. He was a sprint, tandem and six-day rider.Perkins teamed with Ian Browne to win the tandem sprint at the Australian National Track Championships. That qualified them to compete at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo...
. As a youngster, Perkins played cricket, football and basketball. He played basketball at a very high level aged 7 to 14, but did not enjoy it enough to continue. Perkins rode BMX for a short while and began cycling aged in 1999 with his father, who had himself been a successful cyclist.
His first cycling club was the Carnegie Caulfield Cycling Club, and his first medal was won at the Victoria state championships at Northcote
Northcote, Victoria
Northcote is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 7 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Darebin...
, it was a gold medal in the sprint event, where he beat friend and rival Michael Ford. Within three months of taking up cycling, he had qualified to compete at the U15 Australian National Championships in Sydney, there he won two gold medals and broke two Australian records in the process. He went on to win 11 further National Championship titles between then and 2006, and broke another two Australian records.
Junior World Championships
In Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
in 2004, Perkins became the sprint and keirin junior World Champion
UCI Track Cycling World Championships
The UCI Track Cycling World Championships are the set of world championship events for the various disciplines and distances in track cycling and are regulated by the Union Cycliste Internationale...
. He tested positive for methamphetamine
Methamphetamine
Methamphetamine is a psychostimulant of the phenethylamine and amphetamine class of psychoactive drugs...
following the Keirin final on 29 July, his case was heard in front of the Court of Arbitration for Sport in November 2004. The Court took into account extenuating circumstances, accepting that Perkins had used a stimulant inadvertently. A Cycling Australia statement said: "In America Perkins purchased a nasal inhaler of the same brand he regularly uses in Australia without realising it contained a different active ingredient, namely methamphetamine, which is on the banned list," Perkins' suspension ran for six months, from 16 November 2004.
Commonwealth Games
Perkins was reselected to represent Australia at the 2006 Commonwealth Games2006 Commonwealth Games
The 2006 Commonwealth Games were held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia between 15 March and 26 March 2006. It was the largest sporting event to be staged in Melbourne, eclipsing the 1956 Summer Olympics in terms of the number of teams competing, athletes competing, and events being held.The site...
in his hometown, Melbourne. He won a bronze medal as part of Australia's team sprint squad, becoming the youngest ever Australian cyclist to win a Commonwealth Games
Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games is an international, multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 and takes place every four years....
medal.
Conflict and family
Following at alcohol-related altercation outside an Adelaide nightclub at 3am on 26 May 2007, Perkins was found "guilty of misconduct to the detriment of Cycling Australia and the good reputation of the sport of cycling" in a case held on 5 June 2008. On 8 June, Perkins was banned by Cycling Australia for three months under a "good behaviour bond" and had to pay $1,000, and had his scholarship suspended for 4 months (initially 6 months) by the Victoria Institute of Sport.It was through cycling that Perkins met track cyclist Kristine Bayley
Kristine Bayley
Kristine Bayley is an Australian professional track cyclist.Her brother, Ryan Bayley, is also a professional cyclist.Her engagement to Shane Perkins, another international track cyclist, was announced in spring 2008....
, sister of fellow sprint cyclist Ryan Bayley
Ryan Bayley
Ryan Neville Bayley OAM is a professional track cyclist.-Biography:Born in Perth, Western Australia, Bayley started competitive cycling in 1997 at fifteen years of age...
; their engagement was announced in spring 2008.
In February 2008, tension was brewing between Perkins and his rival for Olympic selection, Ryan Bayley
Ryan Bayley
Ryan Neville Bayley OAM is a professional track cyclist.-Biography:Born in Perth, Western Australia, Bayley started competitive cycling in 1997 at fifteen years of age...
. Both were deemied by the judges to be riding improperly at the Australian National Track Championships
Australian National Track Championships
The Australian National Track Championships are held annually and are composed of competitions of various track cycling disciplines across various age, gender and disability categories.-Senior:-Team Pursuit:-Team Sprint:-Madison:-Junior:...
. Bayley crashed when Perkins moved down on him during a race, burning a hole in the back of his skinsuit. The relationship between the two riders was given another dimension, when Perkins announced his engagement.
Bayley was finally selected to ride at the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, as Perkins had not competed in any Team Sprint events. Perkins was again involved in an incident in April 2008, but this did not come to light until June, after the Olympic selection process had been completed.
Perkins became a father, when his son Aidan Perkins was born in October 2008. He has credited his family with getting him back on track, and is determined to put past disciplinary problems behind him.
Palmarès
2003- 1st Kilo, Australian National Track ChampionshipsAustralian National Track ChampionshipsThe Australian National Track Championships are held annually and are composed of competitions of various track cycling disciplines across various age, gender and disability categories.-Senior:-Team Pursuit:-Team Sprint:-Madison:-Junior:...
, Juniors - 1st Sprint, Australian National Track ChampionshipsAustralian National Track ChampionshipsThe Australian National Track Championships are held annually and are composed of competitions of various track cycling disciplines across various age, gender and disability categories.-Senior:-Team Pursuit:-Team Sprint:-Madison:-Junior:...
, Juniors
2004
- 1st Keirin, World ChampionshipsUCI Track Cycling World ChampionshipsThe UCI Track Cycling World Championships are the set of world championship events for the various disciplines and distances in track cycling and are regulated by the Union Cycliste Internationale...
, Juniors - 3rd Team Sprint, World ChampionshipsUCI Track Cycling World ChampionshipsThe UCI Track Cycling World Championships are the set of world championship events for the various disciplines and distances in track cycling and are regulated by the Union Cycliste Internationale...
, Juniors - 1st Sprint, World ChampionshipsUCI Track Cycling World ChampionshipsThe UCI Track Cycling World Championships are the set of world championship events for the various disciplines and distances in track cycling and are regulated by the Union Cycliste Internationale...
, Juniors - 2nd Kilo, Australian National Track ChampionshipsAustralian National Track ChampionshipsThe Australian National Track Championships are held annually and are composed of competitions of various track cycling disciplines across various age, gender and disability categories.-Senior:-Team Pursuit:-Team Sprint:-Madison:-Junior:...
, Juniors - 1st Sprint, Australian National Track ChampionshipsAustralian National Track ChampionshipsThe Australian National Track Championships are held annually and are composed of competitions of various track cycling disciplines across various age, gender and disability categories.-Senior:-Team Pursuit:-Team Sprint:-Madison:-Junior:...
, Juniors
2006
- 3rd Team Sprint, World Cup, Los Angeles
- 3rd Team Sprint, Australian National Track ChampionshipsAustralian National Track ChampionshipsThe Australian National Track Championships are held annually and are composed of competitions of various track cycling disciplines across various age, gender and disability categories.-Senior:-Team Pursuit:-Team Sprint:-Madison:-Junior:...
- 2nd Keirin, Australian National Track ChampionshipsAustralian National Track ChampionshipsThe Australian National Track Championships are held annually and are composed of competitions of various track cycling disciplines across various age, gender and disability categories.-Senior:-Team Pursuit:-Team Sprint:-Madison:-Junior:...
- 3rd Team Sprint, Commonwealth Games2006 Commonwealth GamesThe 2006 Commonwealth Games were held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia between 15 March and 26 March 2006. It was the largest sporting event to be staged in Melbourne, eclipsing the 1956 Summer Olympics in terms of the number of teams competing, athletes competing, and events being held.The site...
- 3rd Team Sprint, World Championships2006 UCI Track Cycling World ChampionshipsThe 2006 UCI Track Cycling World Championships were the World Championship for track cycling. They took place in Bordeaux, France from April 13 to April 16, 2006.-Medals table:-Medal summary:-External links:**...
(with Ryan BayleyRyan BayleyRyan Neville Bayley OAM is a professional track cyclist.-Biography:Born in Perth, Western Australia, Bayley started competitive cycling in 1997 at fifteen years of age...
& Shane KellyShane KellyShane John Kelly OAM is a former professional Australian track racing cyclist. Kelly specialized in the men's 1000 m time trial, commonly known as the Kilo. Kelly announced his retirement from international competition at the end of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics...
) - 3rd Sprint, Oceania Games, Melbourne
- 1st Team Sprint, Oceania Games, Melbourne (with Scott Sunderland & Joel Leonard)
2007
- 3rd Keirin, World Cup, Los Angeles
- 3rd Sprint, Australian National Track ChampionshipsAustralian National Track ChampionshipsThe Australian National Track Championships are held annually and are composed of competitions of various track cycling disciplines across various age, gender and disability categories.-Senior:-Team Pursuit:-Team Sprint:-Madison:-Junior:...
- 1st Team Sprint, Australian National Track ChampionshipsAustralian National Track ChampionshipsThe Australian National Track Championships are held annually and are composed of competitions of various track cycling disciplines across various age, gender and disability categories.-Senior:-Team Pursuit:-Team Sprint:-Madison:-Junior:...
(with Mark FrenchMark FrenchMark French is a retired Australian sprint cyclist. He started cycling competitively relatively late at the age of 15, in 1999...
& Joel Leonard) - 2nd Keirin, Australian National Track ChampionshipsAustralian National Track ChampionshipsThe Australian National Track Championships are held annually and are composed of competitions of various track cycling disciplines across various age, gender and disability categories.-Senior:-Team Pursuit:-Team Sprint:-Madison:-Junior:...
- 1st Keirin, World Cup, Manchester
- 3rd Team Sprint, World Cup, Manchester
- 2nd Sprint, Oceania Championships, Invercargill
- 3rd Keirin, Oceania Championships, Invercargill
2008
- 3rd Sprint, Australian National Track ChampionshipsAustralian National Track ChampionshipsThe Australian National Track Championships are held annually and are composed of competitions of various track cycling disciplines across various age, gender and disability categories.-Senior:-Team Pursuit:-Team Sprint:-Madison:-Junior:...
- 1st Team Sprint, Australian National Track ChampionshipsAustralian National Track ChampionshipsThe Australian National Track Championships are held annually and are composed of competitions of various track cycling disciplines across various age, gender and disability categories.-Senior:-Team Pursuit:-Team Sprint:-Madison:-Junior:...
(with Mark FrenchMark FrenchMark French is a retired Australian sprint cyclist. He started cycling competitively relatively late at the age of 15, in 1999...
& Shane KellyShane KellyShane John Kelly OAM is a former professional Australian track racing cyclist. Kelly specialized in the men's 1000 m time trial, commonly known as the Kilo. Kelly announced his retirement from international competition at the end of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics... - 2nd Sprint, World Cup, Manchester
- 1st Sprint, World Cup, Melbourne
2009
- 3rd Sprint, World Cup, Beijing
- 1st Keirin Oceania Championships AUS
- 1st Team Sprint Oceania Championships AUS
- 1st Keirin Australian Championships SA
- 1st Sprint Australian Championships SA
- 1st Team Sprint Australian Championships SA
- 1st Kilometre Time Trial Australian Championships SA
- 1st Austral Wheelrace VIC
2010
- 1st Sprint Commonwealth GamesCycling at the 2010 Commonwealth GamesThe cycling competition at the 2010 Commonwealth Games comprised two disciplines: road cycling and track cycling. The track events were held at the Indira Gandhi Arena. Track events were held from 5–8 October 2010.-Medal table:- Road:- Track:...
2011
- 1st Keirin, World Championships2011 UCI Track Cycling World ChampionshipsThe 2011 UCI Track Cycling World Championships was the World Championships for track cycling in 2011. The championships took place at the Omnisport Apeldoorn in Apeldoorn, Netherlands from 23 to 27 March 2011.-Medal summary:-Medal table:...