Leading Australia out down the streets along Vina del Mar beach as the Flag Bearer was Australia's World Trophy Team member, Joshua Strang. Australia‰Ûªs Women‰Ûªs World Trophy Team received a very warm welcome during the Opening Ceremony, as they bid for a record-breaking sixth consecutive win. Scoring their first trophy back in 2013 in Sardinia, Italy, Australia‰Ûªs three ladies, Jessica Gardiner, Tayla Jones and Mackenzie Tricker, are set to once again bring the fire to their international counterparts, serving unstoppable and unrivalled skills. Reflecting on arriving in Chile and the past week of testing and familiarising with the tracks, Gardiner noted that ‰ÛÏwe‰Ûªve done a lot of walking here in Chile. It‰Ûªs been quite hilly and therefore quite difficult to walk.
‰ÛÏIt‰Ûªs also been quite hot, and even though the metre says its only 22 degrees it really feels like 32! We‰Ûªve learnt that it‰Ûªs going to be far more technical than the standard fast and flowing grass tracks usually seen at the ISDE. So there‰Ûªs going to be more technique involved, which should make it interesting to decipher all the riders quickly!
‰ÛÏIt‰Ûªs been great to be with the girls in our Women‰Ûªs World Trophy Team! We‰Ûªve found a new teammate in Mackenzie Tricker, so hopefully us Aussie girls can keep the ball rolling and stay strong. We‰Ûªre preparing for a long, hot event, so we are going to have to really rely on our air filters changes and keeping our coolers up to date. So, fingers crossed for a good event!‰Û
