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{{Short description|American cyclist (born 1986)}}
{{Infobox cyclist
{{Infobox cyclist
| name = Michael Blatchford
| name = Michael Blatchford
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| nickname =
| nickname =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1986|1|29|df=yes}}
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1986|1|29|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Cypress, California]], [[United States]]
| birth_place = [[Cypress, California]], United States
| death_date =
| death_date =
| death_place =
| death_place =
| height = {{height|m=1.78|0|abbr=on}}
| height = {{height|m=1.78|abbr=on}}
| weight = {{convert|82|kg|lb|0|abbr=on}}
| weight = {{convert|82|kg|lb|0|abbr=on}}
| currentteam =
| currentteam =
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{{MedalSilver | [[2011 Pan American Games|2011 Guadalajara]] | [[Cycling at the 2011 Pan American Games – Men's team sprint|Team sprint]] }}
{{MedalSilver | [[2011 Pan American Games|2011 Guadalajara]] | [[Cycling at the 2011 Pan American Games – Men's team sprint|Team sprint]] }}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Pan American Road and Track Championships|Pan American Championships]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Pan American Road and Track Championships|Pan American Championships]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[2007 Pan American Cycling Championships|2007 Valencia]]|Sprint}}
{{MedalGold|[[2012 Pan American Cycling Championships|2012 Mar del Plata]]|Team sprint}}
{{MedalGold|[[2012 Pan American Cycling Championships|2012 Mar del Plata]]|Team sprint}}
{{MedalSilver|[[2007 Pan American Cycling Championships|2007 Valencia]]|Team sprint}}
{{MedalSilver|[[2011 Pan American Cycling Championships|2011 Medellin]]|Team sprint}}
{{MedalSilver|[[2011 Pan American Cycling Championships|2011 Medellin]]|Team sprint}}
{{MedalBronze|[[2005 Pan American Cycling Championships|2005 Mar del Plata]]|Sprint}}
{{MedalBronze|[[2005 Pan American Cycling Championships|2005 Mar del Plata]]|Team sprint}}
{{MedalBronze|[[2006 Pan American Cycling Championships|2006 São Paulo]]|Team sprint}}
| show-medals = yes
| show-medals = yes
| updated = 24 November 2016
}}
}}


'''Michael Benjamin Blatchford''' (born January 29, 1986 in [[Cypress, California]]) is an American professional track cyclist.<ref>{{cite sports-reference|Michael Blatchford|http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/bl/michael-blatchford-1.html|16 October 2013}}</ref> Considered as one of the youngest and most dynamic American sprinters on the present-day track circuit, Blatchford has held two Pan American and four U.S. national championship titles in his career resume since he scored his first triumph as an eighteen-year-old junior in 2004. He also represented the [[United States]] at the [[2008 Summer Olympics]] and eventually led off the Americans for the silver medal in men's team sprint at the [[2011 Pan American Games]]. Blatchford currently races for Project London 2012 pro cycling team, and works as a resident athlete for the [[U.S. Olympic Training Center]] in [[Colorado Springs, Colorado]].<ref>{{cite news|title=USA Cycling announces 2012 Track World Championships roster|url=http://www.dailypeloton.com/displayarticle.asp?pk=19918|publisher=Daily Peloton|date=19 March 2013|accessdate=16 October 2013}}</ref>
'''Michael Benjamin Blatchford''' (born January 29, 1986, in [[Cypress, California]]) is an American professional track cyclist.<ref>{{cite sports-reference|title = Michael Blatchford|url = https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/bl/michael-blatchford-1.html|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200418060612/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/bl/michael-blatchford-1.html|url-status = dead|archive-date = 18 April 2020|access-date = 16 October 2013}}</ref> Considered one of the youngest and most dynamic American sprinters on the present-day track circuit, Blatchford has held two Pan American and four U.S. national championship titles in his career resume since he scored his first triumph as an eighteen-year-old junior in 2004. He also represented the [[United States]] at the [[2008 Summer Olympics]] and eventually led off the Americans for the silver medal in men's team sprint at the [[2011 Pan American Games]]. Blatchford currently races for Project London 2012 pro cycling team, and works as a resident athlete for the [[U.S. Olympic Training Center]] in [[Colorado Springs, Colorado]].<ref>{{cite news|title=USA Cycling announces 2012 Track World Championships roster|url=http://www.dailypeloton.com/displayarticle.asp?pk=19918|archive-url=https://archive.today/20131017100430/http://www.dailypeloton.com/displayarticle.asp?pk=19918|url-status=dead|archive-date=17 October 2013|publisher=Daily Peloton|date=19 March 2013|accessdate=16 October 2013}}</ref>


==Racing career==
==Racing career==
Growing up in [[Cypress, California]], where he was home-schooled through high school, Blatchford started his cycling career at age thirteen, when he first discovered the now-defunct [[Olympic Velodrome (Carson, California)|Olympic Velodrome]] that hosted the [[Cycling at the 1984 Summer Olympics|track cycling]] tournament at the [[1984 Summer Olympics]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Michael Blatchford: "Nothing to Lose"|url=http://thegoodnewsplus.com/content/michael-blatchford-nothing-lose|publisher=The Good News Plus|date=17 October 2010|accessdate=16 October 2013}}</ref> Blatchford's visit and fascination had thereby inspired him to become a track sprinter, and eventually claimed the silver medal at the 2004 UCI Junior World Championships in [[Los Angeles]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Scrymgeour|first=Kristy|title=Second gold for Perkins|url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/track/2004/jul04/juniorworlds04/?id=men_sprint|publisher=Cycling News|date=1 August 2004|accessdate=16 October 2013}}</ref> On that same year, he outclassed [[Giddeon Massie]] and [[Christian Stahl]] for an elite U.S. national title in men's sprint that officially marked his debut as a force to be reckoned with on the domestic and international track cycling scene.
Growing up in [[Cypress, California]], where he was home-schooled through high school, Blatchford started his cycling career at age thirteen, when he first discovered the now-defunct [[Olympic Velodrome (Carson, California)|Olympic Velodrome]] that hosted the [[Cycling at the 1984 Summer Olympics|track cycling]] tournament at the [[1984 Summer Olympics]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Michael Blatchford: "Nothing to Lose"|url=http://thegoodnewsplus.com/content/michael-blatchford-nothing-lose|publisher=The Good News Plus|date=17 October 2010|accessdate=16 October 2013|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131017131018/http://thegoodnewsplus.com/content/michael-blatchford-nothing-lose|archivedate=17 October 2013}}</ref> Blatchford's visit and fascination had thereby inspired him to become a track sprinter, and eventually claimed the silver medal at the 2004 UCI Junior World Championships in [[Los Angeles]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Scrymgeour|first=Kristy|title=Second gold for Perkins|url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/track/2004/jul04/juniorworlds04/?id=men_sprint|publisher=Cycling News|date=1 August 2004|accessdate=16 October 2013}}</ref> On that same year, he outclassed [[Giddeon Massie]] and [[Christian Stahl]] for an elite U.S. national title in men's sprint that officially marked his debut as a force to be reckoned with on the domestic and international track cycling scene.


Shortly after his early success, Blatchford became one of the resident athletes of the [[U.S. Olympic Training Center]] in [[Colorado Springs, Colorado]]. He continued to floruish his sporting career with a first major international result, a bronze medal in men's sprint at the [[2005–06 UCI Track Cycling World Cup Classics|2006 UCI World Cup]] series in [[Los Angeles]], followed by an impressive, gold medal effort for the U.S. cycling team at the 2007 [[Pan American Road and Track Championships]] in [[Valencia, Venezuela]].<ref>{{cite news|title=LA Track World Cup 2006 – Day 2 Evening Session|url=http://pedalmag.com/la-track-world-cup-2006-day-2-evening-session/|publisher=Canadian Cycling Magazine|date=1 August 2004|accessdate=16 October 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Blatchford, madison team win Pan Am gold, team sprint wins silver|url=http://www.usacycling.org/news/user/story.php?id=2970|publisher=[[USA Cycling]]|date=24 May 2007|accessdate=16 October 2013}}</ref>
Shortly after his early success, Blatchford became one of the resident athletes of the [[U.S. Olympic Training Center]] in [[Colorado Springs, Colorado]]. His sporting career continued to flourish with a bronze medal in men's sprint at the [[2005–06 UCI Track Cycling World Cup Classics|2006 UCI World Cup]] series in [[Los Angeles]], followed by an impressive, gold medal effort for the U.S. cycling team at the 2007 [[Pan American Road and Track Championships]] in [[Valencia, Venezuela]].<ref>{{cite news|title=LA Track World Cup 2006 – Day 2 Evening Session|url=http://pedalmag.com/la-track-world-cup-2006-day-2-evening-session/|publisher=Canadian Cycling Magazine|date=1 August 2004|accessdate=16 October 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Blatchford, madison team win Pan Am gold, team sprint wins silver|url=http://www.usacycling.org/news/user/story.php?id=2970|publisher=[[USA Cycling]]|date=24 May 2007|accessdate=16 October 2013}}</ref>


With an aim on the team sprint event for the Olympics in 2008, Blatchford teamed up with Olympians Massie and [[Adam Duvendeck]] to set a new [[United States records in track cycling|U.S. record]] of 45.128 seconds at the [[2008 UCI Track Cycling World Championships|UCI World Championships]] in [[Manchester, England]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Phinney records fastest pursuit yet in 8th-place finish at World's|url=http://www.usacycling.org/news/user/story.php?id=3501|publisher=[[USA Cycling]]|date=26 March 2008|accessdate=16 October 2013}}</ref>
With an aim on the team sprint event for the Olympics in 2008, Blatchford teamed up with Olympians Massie and [[Adam Duvendeck]] to set a new [[United States records in track cycling|U.S. record]] of 45.128 seconds at the [[2008 UCI Track Cycling World Championships|UCI World Championships]] in [[Manchester, England]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Phinney records fastest pursuit yet in 8th-place finish at World's|url=http://www.usacycling.org/news/user/story.php?id=3501|publisher=[[USA Cycling]]|date=26 March 2008|accessdate=16 October 2013}}</ref>


Following a stunning performance from the World Championships, Blatchford qualified for two track cycling events at the [[2008 Summer Olympics]] in [[Beijing]] by recording the fastest entry time, and earning an automatic berth from the [[USA Cycling]] Team's Selection Camp.<ref>{{cite news|title=Phinney clocks world record, Lea, Blatchford look ahead to Beijing|url=http://www.usacycling.org/news/user/story.php?id=3669|publisher=[[USA Cycling]]|date=16 June 2008|accessdate=16 October 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=USA Cycling adds Lea, Blatchford to Olympic roster|url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/2008-06-17-2959915166_x.htm|publisher=[[USA Today]]|date=17 June 2008|accessdate=16 October 2013}}</ref> In the [[Cycling at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's team sprint|men's team sprint]], held on the first day of the track program, Blatchford helped his teammates Massie and Duvendeck set an eighth-place time in 45.346 (an average speed of 59.542 km/h) on the morning prelims before they were knocked off by the Brits (led by Olympic legend [[Chris Hoy]]) in the first round.<ref>{{cite web|title=Men's Team Sprint First Round|url=http://www.2008.nbcolympics.com/cycling/resultsandschedules/rsc=CTM401800/index.html|work=[[Beijing 2008]]|publisher=[[NBC Olympics]]|accessdate=21 December 2012}}</ref><ref name=usa-cycling-2008>{{cite news|title=Reed advances to quarterfinals of women's match sprint|url=http://www.usacycling.org/news/user/story.php?id=3793|publisher=[[USA Cycling]]|date=17 August 2008|accessdate=16 October 2013}}</ref> Two days later, in the [[Cycling at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's sprint|men's sprint]], Blatchford lost his round-of-sixteen match-up against France's [[Kévin Sireau]], and finished second in his repechage heat behind Japan's [[Kazunari Watanabe]], thus eliminating him from the tournament. Earlier in the morning session, Blatchford grabbed a fifteenth seed with a time of 10.470.<ref name=usa-cycling-2008/><ref>{{cite web|title=Men's Sprint Repechage Round 1|url=http://www.2008.nbcolympics.com/cycling/resultsandschedules/rsc=CTM001550/standings.html|work=[[Beijing 2008]]|publisher=[[NBC Olympics]]|accessdate=21 December 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Reed advances into Monday's quarters|url=http://www.2008.nbcolympics.com/cycling/news/newsid=225047.html#reed+advances+into+mondays+quarters|publisher=[[NBC Olympics]]|date=17 August 2008|accessdate=16 October 2013}}</ref>
Following a stunning performance from the World Championships, Blatchford qualified for two track cycling events at the [[2008 Summer Olympics]] in [[Beijing]] by recording the fastest entry time, and earning an automatic berth from the [[USA Cycling]] Team's Selection Camp.<ref>{{cite news|title=Phinney clocks world record, Lea, Blatchford look ahead to Beijing|url=http://www.usacycling.org/news/user/story.php?id=3669|publisher=[[USA Cycling]]|date=16 June 2008|accessdate=16 October 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=USA Cycling adds Lea, Blatchford to Olympic roster|url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/2008-06-17-2959915166_x.htm|publisher=[[USA Today]]|date=17 June 2008|accessdate=16 October 2013}}</ref> In the [[Cycling at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's team sprint|men's team sprint]], held on the first day of the track program, Blatchford helped his teammates Massie and Duvendeck set an eighth-place time in 45.346 (an average speed of 59.542&nbsp;km/h) on the morning prelims before they were knocked off by the Brits (led by Olympic legend [[Chris Hoy]]) in the first round.<ref>{{cite web|title=Men's Team Sprint First Round |url=http://www.2008.nbcolympics.com/cycling/resultsandschedules/rsc=CTM401800/index.html |work=[[Beijing 2008]] |publisher=[[NBC Olympics]] |accessdate=21 December 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120819213108/http://www.2008.nbcolympics.com/cycling/resultsandschedules/rsc%3DCTM401800/index.html |archivedate=19 August 2012 }}</ref><ref name=usa-cycling-2008>{{cite news|title=Reed advances to quarterfinals of women's match sprint|url=http://www.usacycling.org/news/user/story.php?id=3793|publisher=[[USA Cycling]]|date=17 August 2008|accessdate=16 October 2013}}</ref> Two days later, in the [[Cycling at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's sprint|men's sprint]], Blatchford lost his round-of-sixteen match-up against France's [[Kévin Sireau]], and finished second in his repechage heat behind Japan's [[Kazunari Watanabe]], thus eliminating him from the tournament. Earlier in the morning session, Blatchford grabbed a fifteenth seed with a time of 10.470.<ref name=usa-cycling-2008/><ref>{{cite web|title=Men's Sprint Repechage Round 1|url=http://www.2008.nbcolympics.com/cycling/resultsandschedules/rsc=CTM001550/standings.html|work=[[Beijing 2008]]|publisher=[[NBC Olympics]]|accessdate=21 December 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120819213213/http://www.2008.nbcolympics.com/cycling/resultsandschedules/rsc=CTM001550/standings.html|archive-date=19 August 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Reed advances into Monday's quarters|url=http://www.2008.nbcolympics.com/cycling/news/newsid=225047.html#reed+advances+into+mondays+quarters|publisher=[[NBC Olympics]]|date=17 August 2008|accessdate=16 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131022012957/http://www.2008.nbcolympics.com/cycling/news/newsid=225047.html#reed+advances+into+mondays+quarters|archive-date=22 October 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>


In 2009, Blatchford immediately took up a two-year [[sabbatical]] from the sport, when the U.S. cycling team disbanded the sprint program in track cycling.<ref>{{cite news|title=Revival on the Velodrome|url=http://www.teamusa.org/News/2011/October/17/Revival-on-the-Velodrome|publisher=[[United States Olympic Committee|Team USA]]|date=17 October 2011|accessdate=16 October 2013}}</ref> By early 2011, he came out of an early retirement to join with four other riders for Project London 2012, an elite track cycling team, inspired and created by Rubicon Cycling LCC, that fosters the youth to become champion professional athletes, fulfilling their dream to represent the [[United States]] at the Olympic Games.<ref>{{cite news|title=Project London 2012 Launch|url=http://www.dailypeloton.com/displayarticle.asp?pk=18342|publisher=Daily Peloton|date=16 March 2011|accessdate=16 October 2013}}</ref>
In 2009, Blatchford immediately took up a two-year [[sabbatical]] from the sport, when the U.S. cycling team disbanded the sprint program in track cycling.<ref>{{cite news|title=Revival on the Velodrome|url=http://www.teamusa.org/News/2011/October/17/Revival-on-the-Velodrome|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131027204221/http://www.teamusa.org/News/2011/October/17/Revival-on-the-Velodrome|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 27, 2013|publisher=[[United States Olympic Committee|Team USA]]|date=17 October 2011|accessdate=16 October 2013}}</ref> By early 2011, he came out of an early retirement to join with four other riders for Project London 2012, an elite track cycling team, inspired and created by Rubicon Cycling LCC, that fosters the youth to become champion professional athletes, fulfilling their dream to represent the [[United States]] at the Olympic Games.<ref>{{cite news|title=Project London 2012 Launch|url=http://www.dailypeloton.com/displayarticle.asp?pk=18342|publisher=Daily Peloton|date=16 March 2011|accessdate=16 October 2013|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131017135218/http://www.dailypeloton.com/displayarticle.asp?pk=18342|archivedate=17 October 2013}}</ref>


Returning from two years off the sport, Blatchford managed to reclaim the men's sprint titles (both individual and team) at the 2011 [[United States National Track Championships|U.S. Track Cycling Championships]], and further continued his stellar ride as part of the team that registered an American record of 44.036 and earned a silver medal at the [[2011 Pan American Games|Pan American Games]] in [[Guadalajara, Mexico]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Two medals for U.S. track cyclists at Pan American Games|url=http://www.usacycling.org/two-medals-for-us-track-cyclists-at-pan-american-games.htm|publisher=[[USA Cycling]]|date=20 October 2011|accessdate=16 October 2013}}</ref> Having been chosen by [[USA Cycling]] to be eligible for team selection, Blatchford sought his official bid to compete for the [[2012 Summer Olympics]], but he was shortlisted.<ref>{{cite news|title=USA Cycling reveals eligible athletes|url=http://espn.go.com/olympics/cycling/story/_/id/7357994/usa-cycling-announces-eligible-athletes-london-olympics|publisher=[[ESPN]]|date=15 December 2011|accessdate=16 October 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=USA Cycling announces pool of track riders for 2012 Olympics|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/usa-cycling-announces-pool-of-track-riders-for-2012-olympics|publisher=Cycling News|date=6 January 2012|accessdate=16 October 2013}}</ref>
Returning from two years off the sport, Blatchford managed to reclaim the men's sprint titles (both individual and team) at the 2011 [[United States National Track Championships|U.S. Track Cycling Championships]], and further continued his stellar ride as part of the team that registered an American record of 44.036 and earned a silver medal at the [[2011 Pan American Games|Pan American Games]] in [[Guadalajara, Mexico]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Two medals for U.S. track cyclists at Pan American Games|url=http://www.usacycling.org/two-medals-for-us-track-cyclists-at-pan-american-games.htm|publisher=[[USA Cycling]]|date=20 October 2011|accessdate=16 October 2013}}</ref> Having been chosen by [[USA Cycling]] to be eligible for team selection, Blatchford sought his official bid to compete for the [[2012 Summer Olympics]], but he was shortlisted.<ref>{{cite news|title=USA Cycling reveals eligible athletes|url=http://espn.go.com/olympics/cycling/story/_/id/7357994/usa-cycling-announces-eligible-athletes-london-olympics|publisher=[[ESPN]]|date=15 December 2011|accessdate=16 October 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=USA Cycling announces pool of track riders for 2012 Olympics|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/usa-cycling-announces-pool-of-track-riders-for-2012-olympics|publisher=Cycling News|date=6 January 2012|accessdate=16 October 2013}}</ref>


==Career highlights==
==Career highlights==
{{colbegin|2}}
{{Div col}}
;2004
;2004
* {{gold01}} [[United States National Track Championships|U.S. Track Cycling Championships]] (Sprint), [[Frisco, Texas]] (USA)
* {{gold01}} [[United States National Track Championships|U.S. Track Cycling Championships]] (Sprint), [[Frisco, Texas]] (USA)
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* {{gold01}} U.S. Track Cycling Championships (Team sprint with Dean Tracy and Kevin Mansker), [[Carson, California]] (USA)
* {{gold01}} U.S. Track Cycling Championships (Team sprint with Dean Tracy and Kevin Mansker), [[Carson, California]] (USA)
* {{silver02}} [[2011 Pan American Games|Pan American Games]] ([[Cycling at the 2011 Pan American Games – Men's team sprint|Team sprint]] with [[Jimmy Watkins]] and Dean Tracy), [[Guadalajara]] (MEX)
* {{silver02}} [[2011 Pan American Games|Pan American Games]] ([[Cycling at the 2011 Pan American Games – Men's team sprint|Team sprint]] with [[Jimmy Watkins]] and Dean Tracy), [[Guadalajara]] (MEX)
{{colend}}
{{div col end}}


==References==
==References==
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==External links==
==External links==
*[https://www.usacycling.org/michael-blatchford.htm Michael Blatchford] – [[USA Cycling]] Profile
*[https://www.usacycling.org/michael-blatchford.htm Michael Blatchford] – [[USA Cycling]] Profile
*[http://www.teamusa.org/Athletes/BL/Michael-Blatchford U.S. Olympic Team Profile]
*{{USOPC profile|BL/Michael-Blatchford}}
*[http://www.2008.nbcolympics.com/athletes/athlete=1395/bio/index.html NBC Olympics Profile]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20131022013534/http://www.2008.nbcolympics.com/athletes/athlete=1395/bio/index.html NBC 2008 Olympics profile]
*{{cycling archives|18543}}
*{{cycling archives|18543}}


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[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American male cyclists]]
[[Category:American male cyclists]]
[[Category:Track cyclists]]
[[Category:American track cyclists]]
[[Category:Cyclists at the 2008 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Cyclists at the 2008 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Cyclists at the 2011 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:Cyclists at the 2011 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:Pan American Games silver medalists for the United States]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2011 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:Olympic cyclists of the United States]]
[[Category:Pan American Games silver medalists for the United States in cycling]]
[[Category:Olympic cyclists for the United States]]
[[Category:People from Cypress, California]]
[[Category:People from Cypress, California]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from California]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Orange County, California]]

Latest revision as of 23:15, 5 April 2024

Michael Blatchford
Personal information
Full nameMichael Benjamin Blatchford
Born (1986-01-29) 29 January 1986 (age 38)
Cypress, California, United States
Height1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Weight82 kg (181 lb)
Team information
DisciplineTrack
RoleRider
Rider typeSprinter
Professional teams
2008Cody Racing
2011–2012Project London 2012
Medal record
Men's track cycling
Representing the  United States
Pan American Games
Silver medal – second place 2011 Guadalajara Team sprint
Pan American Championships
Gold medal – first place 2007 Valencia Sprint
Gold medal – first place 2012 Mar del Plata Team sprint
Silver medal – second place 2007 Valencia Team sprint
Silver medal – second place 2011 Medellin Team sprint
Bronze medal – third place 2005 Mar del Plata Sprint
Bronze medal – third place 2005 Mar del Plata Team sprint
Bronze medal – third place 2006 São Paulo Team sprint

Michael Benjamin Blatchford (born January 29, 1986, in Cypress, California) is an American professional track cyclist.[1] Considered one of the youngest and most dynamic American sprinters on the present-day track circuit, Blatchford has held two Pan American and four U.S. national championship titles in his career resume since he scored his first triumph as an eighteen-year-old junior in 2004. He also represented the United States at the 2008 Summer Olympics and eventually led off the Americans for the silver medal in men's team sprint at the 2011 Pan American Games. Blatchford currently races for Project London 2012 pro cycling team, and works as a resident athlete for the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.[2]

Racing career[edit]

Growing up in Cypress, California, where he was home-schooled through high school, Blatchford started his cycling career at age thirteen, when he first discovered the now-defunct Olympic Velodrome that hosted the track cycling tournament at the 1984 Summer Olympics.[3] Blatchford's visit and fascination had thereby inspired him to become a track sprinter, and eventually claimed the silver medal at the 2004 UCI Junior World Championships in Los Angeles.[4] On that same year, he outclassed Giddeon Massie and Christian Stahl for an elite U.S. national title in men's sprint that officially marked his debut as a force to be reckoned with on the domestic and international track cycling scene.

Shortly after his early success, Blatchford became one of the resident athletes of the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. His sporting career continued to flourish with a bronze medal in men's sprint at the 2006 UCI World Cup series in Los Angeles, followed by an impressive, gold medal effort for the U.S. cycling team at the 2007 Pan American Road and Track Championships in Valencia, Venezuela.[5][6]

With an aim on the team sprint event for the Olympics in 2008, Blatchford teamed up with Olympians Massie and Adam Duvendeck to set a new U.S. record of 45.128 seconds at the UCI World Championships in Manchester, England.[7]

Following a stunning performance from the World Championships, Blatchford qualified for two track cycling events at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing by recording the fastest entry time, and earning an automatic berth from the USA Cycling Team's Selection Camp.[8][9] In the men's team sprint, held on the first day of the track program, Blatchford helped his teammates Massie and Duvendeck set an eighth-place time in 45.346 (an average speed of 59.542 km/h) on the morning prelims before they were knocked off by the Brits (led by Olympic legend Chris Hoy) in the first round.[10][11] Two days later, in the men's sprint, Blatchford lost his round-of-sixteen match-up against France's Kévin Sireau, and finished second in his repechage heat behind Japan's Kazunari Watanabe, thus eliminating him from the tournament. Earlier in the morning session, Blatchford grabbed a fifteenth seed with a time of 10.470.[11][12][13]

In 2009, Blatchford immediately took up a two-year sabbatical from the sport, when the U.S. cycling team disbanded the sprint program in track cycling.[14] By early 2011, he came out of an early retirement to join with four other riders for Project London 2012, an elite track cycling team, inspired and created by Rubicon Cycling LCC, that fosters the youth to become champion professional athletes, fulfilling their dream to represent the United States at the Olympic Games.[15]

Returning from two years off the sport, Blatchford managed to reclaim the men's sprint titles (both individual and team) at the 2011 U.S. Track Cycling Championships, and further continued his stellar ride as part of the team that registered an American record of 44.036 and earned a silver medal at the Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico.[16] Having been chosen by USA Cycling to be eligible for team selection, Blatchford sought his official bid to compete for the 2012 Summer Olympics, but he was shortlisted.[17][18]

Career highlights[edit]

2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2011

References[edit]

  1. ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Michael Blatchford". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 16 October 2013.
  2. ^ "USA Cycling announces 2012 Track World Championships roster". Daily Peloton. 19 March 2013. Archived from the original on 17 October 2013. Retrieved 16 October 2013.
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External links[edit]

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