Jody Cundy Nears 20-Year Unbeaten Streak in Cycling's Kilo

Jody Cundy, at 48 years old, is approaching a remarkable milestone: 20 consecutive years of being unbeaten in the kilo event at the Para-cycling Track World Championships. If he secures victory at this year's championships, which begin Thursday in Apeldoorn, Netherlands, it will mark two decades since his last loss in the discipline. Cundy, who has been competing in elite sports for 31 years, acknowledges the increasing challenge posed by younger competitors.

"I am getting older and the competitors are getting younger," Cundy told BBC Sport. "It's going to be very hard to keep that unbeaten run. As much as I would love to do it, the people I have to race this year... I'm in trouble."

Among his challengers is 22-year-old British teammate Archie Atkinson. Atkinson, who considers Cundy a mentor, has previously competed against him and even beat him at the National Track Championships last year before Cundy reclaimed victory at the World Championships. "This guy was Paralympic champion, world champion and held a world record at the time," Atkinson said of Cundy. "But if he wins, it's historic. There aren't many people who can win for 20 years."

Cundy's illustrious career includes six Paralympic cycling gold medals, two of which were in the kilo event in 2008 and 2016. His long-standing presence and achievements have earned him the nickname "captain" among his teammates, a title he embraces as a sign of respect. He has earned a bit of respect from being here for so long. I try to be the person everyone looks up to."

While Cundy has no immediate retirement plan, he recognizes the difficulty of qualifying for the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympic Games at age 49. He expressed a desire to remain involved in sport, potentially in a coaching or managerial capacity, or even in governing bodies like the UCI or IPC to advocate for improvements in Para-cycling.

Cundy has been critical of the UCI for its limited number of Para-cycling track competitions, noting that outside of the World Championships and Paralympics, there are few opportunities for athletes to compete. The upcoming World Championships mark the British team's first UCI track event since last year's World Championships in Brazil. "When it comes to track cycling we have one race a year, the World Championships, and then every four years we have a [Paralympic] Games. That's really not good enough," Cundy stated. He reminisced about a time when competitions were more frequent, allowing athletes to travel and gain more experience against a wider range of competitors.