Nat Bromhead
Six weeks after announcing her 2025 retirement from the sport Grace Brown has reached the pinnacle of the sport, winning gold at the Paris Olympics.
Securing Australia’s first gold medal of the 2024 Olympic Games, Brown put in an extraordinary performance to win the Time Trial in wet and slippery conditions.
Finishing 91 seconds ahead of Britain’s Anna Henderson, moments after the win Brown said the gold medal was something she has been dreaming of for a very long time.
“It’s still sinking in,” Brown told the Nine Network, “It’s so surreal … I had a plan to pace the race and win gold,” Brown continued. “I was able to execute my plan pretty much to perfection, if not better,” she added.
The gold medal caps off an incredible year for Brown, the 32-year-old winning major races including the RoadNats TT and Liège–Bastogne–Liège Femmes.
A member of Melbourne’s St Kilda Cycling Club, Club President Tom Reynolds said Grace demonstrated extraordinary skill and determination to win gold “in a race marked by treacherous conditions she clinched an emphatic victory.”
“We are immensely proud of Grace’s flawless performance,” said Reynolds.
“This gold medal has been a long-term goal for Grace. Her dedication and resilience in such challenging conditions exemplify the spirit of our club and the wider Australian cycling community. Grace’s success is a testament to her intelligence, work ethic and indefatigable spirit,” he continued.
“There are a lot of tired St Kilda members today – they stayed up late to cheer Grace on, and some may have started celebrating in the early hours.”
Grace announced in June that she plans to retire at the end of the year, capping off her illustrious career (and the best year of her professional career) on the highest note possible. She has achieved the ultimate dream of going out on top, with an Olympic gold medal as the crowning jewel of her career.
Grace was a late starter to cycling after spending her early athletic years as a runner. She took up the sport in August 2015 when she joined the St Kilda Cycling Club for its well-known support of developing female athletes, on the recommendation of friends.
She quickly progressed from a beginner rider to a national-level racing novice in 2018 with the Holden Team Gusto Racing, and then joined the British UCI team Wiggle High5.
In 2019 she joined the Mitchelton-Scott team and in 2020 won AusCycling’s Female Road Cyclist of the Year.
While Grace has conquered the world stage, club members eagerly look forward to seeing a post-retirement Grace Brown join their Wednesday fast ride. The ride departs from Melbourne’s Luna Park at 5.45am sharp all year round and gold medal or not, Tom Reynolds says they always leave on time.
For further details about the club visit the St Kilda Cycling Club website here.
