New Zealand para cyclist Devon Briggs at the 2023 Para Track Cycling Champs Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Young Cambridge cyclist Devon Briggs is pumped to get to the 2024 Paris Paralympics after starting the year in the best possible way.
The 20-year-old has set a world record for his class in the 200m Flying Start at the World Para Track Championships in Rio de Janeiro.
It is the first part of the four discipline omnium which he will complete over the next three days.
Briggs told RNZ the Flying 200m is a ride he has done well in and after missing out on a world record at last years champs by three thousandths of a second he was keen to break it today.
"Everything went as planned, the process I set out with my coach worked really well, the track felt fast and the body felt good on the bike."
The win puts him on top of the omnium standings with the 3000m individual pursuit, the 1km time trial and a scratch race still to come.
While he has set a world record in the sprint, the only events Briggs can compete in at the Paralympics are the individual pursuit and the time trial.
"The kilo (time trial) is probably one of my favourite races so to get a world record in the 200, I'm over the moon, I'm super stoked."
New Zealand para cyclist Devon Briggs at the 2023 World Track Championships. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Briggs was unable to compete at the Tokyo Paralympics as he was 13 days too young. The minimum age to enter is 18.
"Missing out (on Tokyo) has been a big driving factor since.
"If I can make it to Paris it would be amazing, it would make the last ten years of riding a bicycle almost come to a climax, it would be out of this world."
Briggs did not get a medal for his performance in the sprint today as it is only part of the omnium, however individual medals are also on offer in the other three disciplines.
This is his third World Championships. In 2022 he won two silver medals and followed that up with four bronze medals in 2023.
However he is keen to improve on that this week in Brazil.
After coming close to the kilo world record twice in February he's out to pick up that elusive rainbow jersey.
"I am 110 percent confident in myself that I can ride through the rest of the week and put out some really nice results."
Briggs has bilateral talipes or clubfoot.
