Silver to rising star at Oceania contest

Rising mountain bike star Hamish Wilkes has return from his debut on the national stage with a silver medal after a brilliant downhill performance in the Oceania MTB Championships in Bright, Victoria last week.

Wilkes was one of three Albany riders who headed ac-ross with the WA team to compete in the Mountain Bike Australia National Championships, followed by the Oceania MTB Championships.

After finishing 13th out of 30 competitors in his under-15 men’s downhill division at the national titles, Wilkes pressed on to the Oceania event and onto the podium.

Again competing in the under-15 men’s category, the Albany teenager recorded a slick time of 4min. 31.292sec. on the track to grab a silver medal in the field of seven riders.

He finished 12sec. behind winner Lewis Allbon but the result was a breakthrough Oceania downhill medal for the Albany region, where the discipline is growing rapidly.

Siblings Jessica and Lachlan Waldron also made the trip with the WA team, competing in cross country.

Jessica Waldron was ninth in the national championships in her under-17 women’s XCC class, finishing 1:45 adrift of the winner in the field of 11 riders.

She then finished ninth in the Oceania championships in her XCO division.

In the under-19 men’s division, Lachlan Waldron crossed the line in 18th place in the national championships.

He was then 27th out of 30 competitors in the Oceania championships.