Jack of all trades, on the road and track

A SUPERB competitor in road racing and in later years on the track, cycling champion Jack Trickey is one of seven Olympians in Bendigo’s Sports Star Hall of Fame.

The team for the 1956 Melbourne Olympics included Bendigo athletes – Jack Trickey in the 100-mile road race, and swimming star Faith Leech in the 100-metre freestyle and 4 x 100-metre freestyle relay.

A crash at a feeding station in the ‘56 Games ended Trickey’s race for a medal on the Broadmeadows course where only a few months earlier he had won the national title.

Many years after those Olympics, Trickey’s and Leech’s exploits would be recognised when inducted to the Hall of Fame.

Trickey joined the elite group in 1997-98, and Leech was among the first inductees in 1993-94.

First competitive race for a then 15-year-old Trickey was a 10-miler in Bendigo.

In the early 50s he dominated showdowns for state junior track titles.

Trickey was runner-up for the Victorian open road 100-mile championship in 1955 and won the Victorian Country 50-mile and Northern Districts 40-mile titles.

A year later and Trickey was the Australian road champion at 120 miles.

There were 11 test races for cyclists in the lead-up to the ’56 Olympics in Melbourne and Trickey’s tally was five wins, a second, a third placing on two occasions, fourth, seventh, and a puncture.

The Olympic year was to be one of the finest in Jack’s career.

After a break of 30 years, Trickey returned to racing in veterans’ events.

In 1994 he won his class in the 75-kilometre race of the Australian Veterans Championships in Warrnambool. He also won the criterium.

At 60, Trickey starred in Central Victorian Veterans Cycling Club races in the ’95 season.

He was elected president of the CVVCC in 1996 and wife Jean was treasurer.

His high of 1996 was the Masters Games in Alice Springs where he won the time trial, criterium and 45-kilometre road race for the 60-64 years class.

He also starred on the track and struck gold in the 1000-metre pursuit, 1000-metre sprint, two-kilometre scratch race, and claimed silver in the one-kilometre time trial.