Mike O'Connor
Olympic champion Anna Meares and four other influential figures in Australian cycling will be inducted into the AusCycling Hall of Fame in December.
Meares, coach Damian Grundy, dual-sport Olympian Donna Gould, professional cycling pioneer Jackie Clark and Paralympic champion Peter Homann OAM make up the five-member class of 2026, recognising contributions to the sport across more than a century of Australian cycling history.
The inductees span elite competition, coaching, Para cycling and the early development of professional track racing.
Meares is one of Australia’s most decorated track cyclists, having won six Olympic medals, including two gold, and 11 world championships during her career. She became the first Australian to win individual Olympic medals at four consecutive Games before retiring from competition in 2016.
Her contribution to Australian sport has continued beyond the velodrome. Meares served as Chef de Mission of the Australian Olympic Team at Paris 2024 and will continue in the role for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
Damian Grundy is recognised for his contribution to the development of Australian mountain biking. He coached Cadel Evans through the Australian Institute of Sport’s mountain bike program and served as head coach throughout the program’s six-year existence.
He also coached national teams and supported international campaigns, helping develop riders across multiple generations. Grundy remains involved in grassroots cycling through the Mansfield Mount Buller Cycling Club.
Donna Gould’s career took her from the athletics track to the Olympic road race. She represented Australia in athletics at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, having previously held Australian records over 3,000 and 5,000 metres, before joining the AIS cycling program in 1987.
She competed in the road race at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, becoming the first Australian woman to compete at consecutive Summer Olympic Games in different sports. Gould also raced in three editions of the women’s Tour de France between 1987 and 1989 and represented Australia at the 1990 Commonwealth Games.
The Hall of Fame will also recognise Jackie Clark, one of Australia’s early international track cycling stars.
Born in Camperdown, Victoria, in 1884, Clark earned the nickname the ‘Kangaroo Rocket’ during a professional career that took him to some of the world’s biggest track racing events.
In 1909, he won the six-day race at New York’s Madison Square Garden alongside German rider Walter Rütt. Clark went on to record six six-day race victories between 1909 and 1913, including two in Berlin, and set eight world records during his career.
Peter Homann rounds out the five inductees, recognised for his achievements in Para cycling across three Paralympic Games.
He won seven Paralympic medals at Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004, having made an immediate impact on the international stage with two gold medals at the 1994 World Championships.
At the 1998 World Championships, Homann set world records in the 3,000-metre individual pursuit and kilometre time trial, winning three world titles. He also served as team captain and was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM). In 2008, he was inducted into the International Paralympic Committee Hall of Fame.
AusCycling CEO Marne Fechner said the inductees had made significant and lasting contributions to Australian cycling.
“The AusCycling Hall of Fame celebrates and preserves the history of our sport, recognising the best of the best in Australian cycling,” Fechner said.
“Each of this year’s inductees have made an enduring and significant contribution to cycling, whether as an athlete, coach, administrator, leader or pioneer.”
The 2026 AusCycling Hall of Fame and Awards will take place at the National Wine Centre in Adelaide on 2 December.
Mike O’Connor – A keen cyclist, runner and photographer, Mike O’Connor is the Editor of Bicycling Australia. He manages the BA website and social media, and loves promoting the achievements of Australian cyclists.
