McCulloch to let her times do the talking

Cyclist Kaarle McCulloch says Australian Olympic selectors will have no reason not to take sprinters to Rio if their times warrant it.

Track cyclist Kaarle McCulloch is staying out of Australia's Olympic selection issues, preferring to focus on her performance rather than politics.

There's rumblings in cycling circles about how the track team are faring four months out from Rio.

Sprinter Shane Perkins notably remains outside the national program and he did not ride at last month's world championships.

Also last month, Anna Meares took to Facebook to staunchly defend the team, its high-performance unit and coaches.

The post followed what the London 2012 Olympic gold medallist described as inappropriate social media posts and reports.

Rio hopeful McCulloch, who won bronze with Meares in the London team sprint, trains in Sydney separately from the national team in Adelaide.

The 28-year-old said she was trying to stay out of any politics.

"Really it's just about athletes putting the best performances they can on the track so that coaches have no reason not to select them," McCulloch told AAP.

"It's probably not the right time to be talking about that sort of stuff - we've got plenty of time post-Rio to talk about that sort of stuff."

McCulloch said it was important to recognise that each team member's experience would differ depending how they fit into the set-up.

"When you're down there and you're immersed in that environment like Anna is, it's hard to see the broader picture," she said.

"But everyone is entitled to their opinion, and having been in that system for five years I know it's a good system.

"For me personally, being away from the system presents its own challenges.

"But as an individual with 10 years' training experience, I'm better off outside that environment and doing my own thing."

McCulloch is competing with Meares and Steph Morton for two women's Olympic sprint spots.

While Meares and Morton rode fourth in the team sprint at the world titles in London, a disappointed McCulloch finished eighth in the keirin and qualified 12th in the sprint.

But she's not letting it dampen her drive.

Having ridden fast times before the world titles, McCulloch is now pushing her body to new limits, having just completed eight consecutive days in the gym as part of a new training regimen aimed at gaining muscle mass quickly.

"I feel like maybe I'm a little bit on the outer at the moment ... I've got 12 weeks to prove I'm good enough to be on that team," she said.


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Source: AAP



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