Jess Varnish to meet GB performance director – hopes to make case for Rio selection

Jess Varnish says she has ‘reached out’ to the new Performance Director at British Cycling, Andy Harrison, and will meet with him when she returns to the UK. The sprinter is currently in Australia where she has continued training in the hope that she might win back her place on the British team ahead of the Rio Olympics.

Varnish lost her contract with British Cycling last month and expressed her belief that the decision had not been made on performance grounds. Some of her comments about the way she was treated precipitated the subsequent sexism row that saw Shane Sutton leave his post. He has now been replaced by Harrison.

In a statement on her personal website, Varnish said that she had spoken to British Cycling and UK Sport in relation to the two recently launched investigations into the organisation, but added that her immediate priority was to win back her place on the team. “I have reached out to the new Performance Director at British Cycling, Andy Harrison, and will meet with him on my return to the UK.”

Varnish maintains that the decision not to renew her contract was not down to performance.

“Prior to the 2016 World Championships I was not once told that I was underperforming. We have monthly reviews and at no stage was I put under review, or set performance targets to keep my place on the programme. The first I knew that the coaches had an issue with my performance levels, or training data, was 5 days after the 2016 World Championships, when I was told I wouldn’t be getting a new contract over the phone.”

To back up her case, she went on to say that during the two year Olympic qualifying process, she gained more qualifying points than any other British female sprint rider; was consistently performing in the top five in the World for lap one times in the Team Sprint; and qualified the Olympic places for Great Britain in the individual Sprint and Keirin.

She also points to medals won at the World and European Championships and at the Commonwealth Games as proof of her ability.

“I hope that on hearing my case, and with the knowledge that I have been doing the best I can under the circumstances to maintain my fitness on the track, Andy Harrison and British Cycling will give me the chance to get back on the British cycling program ahead of selection for Rio.”

In a statement to The Guardian, a British Cycling spokesman said: “The selection criteria for Rio 2016 were agreed with the British Olympic Association and the British Paralympic Association before being published on the British Cycling website in 2014. We cannot comment on the chances of any individual hoping to be selected for either the Olympics or the Paralympics before the relevant selection panels meet.”