Wendy Houvenaghel

Infobox Cyclist
ridername = Wendy Houvenaghel

---

image_caption = At the world championships, 2008
fullname = Wendy Houvenaghel
nickname =
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1974|11|27|df=yes
country = GBR
height = height|m=1.78cite web| url=http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/ENG/BIO/Athlete/6/225156.shtml| title=Athlete Biography - HOUVENAGHEL Wendy| publisher=Beijing Olympics official website]
weight = convert|60|kg|lb st|abbr=on|lk=on
currentteam = Science in Sport.com
discipline = Track
role = Rider
ridertype = Pursuit / Time-trialist
amateuryears = -2004
amateurteams = Camel Valley Cycling
proyears = 2005-
proteams = Science in Sport.com
majorwins = flagicon|GBR National 3 km Pursuit Champion (2005, 2007)
UCI World Track Cup 3 km Pursuit (2006, 2007)
flagicon|GBR National Time Trial Champion (2007)
UCI World Track Championships Team Pursuit (2008)
updated = 30 March 2008

Squadron Leader Wendy L. Houvenaghel (born Wendy McClean 27 November 1974) is a British racing cyclist from Upperlands, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland,cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics/cycling/7533126.stm|title=Gold Medal Pursuit|author=John Haughey|publisher=BBC Sport|date=30 July 2008] riding on both the road and track, but specialising in the latter. She has represented the United Kingdom in various World Cycling Championships, most notably winning a gold medal in the team pursuit at the 2008 Track World Championships. She has also won various British national competitions and represented England at the 2006 Commonwealth Games. On the road, she rides under the sponsorship of "Science in Sport.com". Houvenaghel is based in Cornwall.

Early life

She grew up in Upperlands near Maghera. She went to Ampertaine County Primary School in Upperlands and Rainey Endowed Grammar School in Magherafelt.At the Rainey she was a very bright student who was interested in cross country most notably not cycling. She studied Dentistry at the University of Dundee where she met her husband. After qualifying, she became a dentist in the Royal Air Force and was promoted from flight lieutenant to squadron leader on 6 August 2003, [LondonGazette|issue=57049|supp=yes|notarchive=yes|startpage=11146|date=9 September 2003|accessdate=2008-08-19] and transferred to the RAF Reserve a year later. [LondonGazette|issue=57401|supp=yes|notarchive=yes|startpage=11244|date=7 September 2004|accessdate=2008-08-19] During her RAF career she was based at RAF St Mawgan near Newquay in Cornwall. [cite news|url=http://www.dentistry.co.uk/news/news_detail.php?id=1407|title=From dentist to Olympic hopeful| publisher=dentistry.co.uk|date=31 July 2008] Having not ridden a bike since leaving school in 1993, [cite news|url=http://www.raineyendowed.com/?module=datalistdetail&itemid=21f019ce-03bb-435b-8749-7a26deb31b7c| title=Wendy Chases Gold : Past Pupil Goes For Gold In Beijing| publisher=Rainey Endowed School] she took up cycling in 2002, aged 27, to accompany her husband Ian. She also rode for the RAF Cycling team. She now lives in Bodmin. In August 2006, she became a full-time track cyclist.

Career

She first took part in a cycle road race in September 2002, being selected for the GB squad in 2003. Houvenaghel rose to fame at a relatively late stage, first competing on the world stage in 2005, aged 31. Prior to this, she had competed in time trials within the UK for the amateur club Camel Valley. She won the British National Circuit Time Trial series in 2003 [ [http://www.cvctc.co.uk/records/ Club Records:Camel Valley Cycling Club] Accessed 30-03-08 ] and won all British time-trials that she competed in during 2005. [http://www.davelloydcoaching.com/cycling-news-and-discussion/female-athletes-flying Female Athletes Flying!] Dave Lloyd Coaching; 2006-01-01; Accessed 2008-03-30 ] During this year she began competing on the track at the 3 km pursuit. She was victorious in this event at the British National Track Championships, in her first ever track race ] and went on to compete in the UCI Track World Cup, which she duly won. [http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/web/site/BC/gbr/CommonwealthGames2006/20060313_Wendy_Houvenaghel.asp Interview: Wendy Houvenaghel] British Cycling; 2006-03-13; Accessed 2008-03-30 ]

Focusing on the track, she retained her World Track Cup title in 2006 and gained a second place in the British National Time Trial Championships on the road. She also represented the UK for the first time at the track World Championships, and competed for England on both the track and the road at the Commonwealth Games after being turned down for the Northern Ireland team by the Northern Ireland Cycling Federation, ] with her best finish being a 5th in the track pursuit at the World Championship. Following a victory in the pursuit at the 2007 British National Track Championships, she went one better to finish fourth in the 2007 World Championships, [ [http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/web/site/BC/gbr/GBRiderInfo/Houvenaghel_Wendy_Bio.asp Wendy Houvenaghel] British Cycling; Accessed 2008-03-30 ] as well as winning the national time-trial title for the first time. [ [http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/millar-houvenaghel-win-uk-time-trial-championship-12297 Millar, Houvenaghel win UK time trial championship] Bikeradar.com; Accessed 2008-03-30 ]

Prior to 2008 Houvenaghel declared that her focus would be on the Track World Championships and 2008 Olympic Games. [ [http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/web/site/BC/gbr/News2007/20071129_Wendy_Houvenaghel.asp UCI World Track Cup Champion Wendy Houvenaghel] British Cycling; 2007-11-27; Accessed 2008-03-30 ] In the Track World Championships in Manchester she was a part of the gold medal winning team pursuit, ensuring participation at the Olympics. [ [http://sport.guardian.co.uk/breakingnews/feedstory/0,,-7419615,00.html Britain win women's team pursuit world title] The Guardian; 29-03-08; Accessed 30-03-08 ] She missed out, however, on a medal in the individual pursuit, again finishing fourth. [ PDF| [http://www.tissottiming.com/sports/cycling/track/cmt2008/Womens_Individual_Pursuit_Finals_Results.pdf 2008 UCI TRACK CYCLING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS] Tissot-Timing; 2008-03-29; Accessed 2008-03-30;] On 16 August 2008 Houvenagel qualified for the final of the Women's 3000m pursuit at the Beijing Olympics and went on to win the Silver medal, losing out on the gold to her team mate Rebecca Romero by a mere 2 seconds. She has now set her sights on the next two years and as most of her fans hope the next four years for the olympics.

Palmarès

; 2003: 1st British National Time Trial Circuit; 2004: 1st British National 10 mile time trial: 1st British National 25 mile time trial; 2005: 1st UCI Track World Cup 3 km Pursuit:: 1st Sydney Round:: 2nd Moscow Round: 1st British National Track Championships 3 km Pursuit: 1st British National 10 mile time trial: 1st British National 25 mile time trial; 2006: 1st UCI Track World Cup 3 km Pursuit:: 1st Moscow Round:: 2nd Sydney Round: 1st British National 10 mile time trial: 1st British National 25 mile time trial: 2nd British National Time Trial Championships: 5th UCI World Track Cycling Championships 3 km Pursuit; 2007: 1st British National Time Trial Championships: 1st British National Track Championships 3 km Pursuit: 4th UCI World Track Cycling Championships 3 km Pursuit; 2008: 1st UCI World Track Cycling Championships Team Pursuit: 4th UCI World Track Cycling Championships 3 km Pursuit:

References

Persondata
NAME= Houvenaghel, Wendy
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=
DATE OF BIRTH= 1974-11-27
PLACE OF BIRTH=
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=