May 28, 2004 – U.S. Olympic hopefuls continue in their quest to secure Olympic start positions for the United States this evening at the penultimate day of the 2004 UCI Track Cycling World Championships. After Americans were idle in the morning session, Erin Mirabella (Racine, Wis.) will take to the track in the women’s 25km points race and Jennie Reed will contest the 5th-8th place women’s sprint race in the evening session.

This will be Mirabella’s second opportunity at securing an Olympic start position for the U.S. in the women’s points race at these world championships. Earlier in the week, Mirabella rode the women’s individual pursuit in which a top-10 finish would have automatically qualified a start position for the U.S. in both the individual pursuit and the points race, both endurance-oriented events. Mirabella fell short however, placing 14th amongst a stellar field that included a world record performance from Sarah Ulmer (NZL).

Because Mirabella was the highest ranked rider in the overall world cup standings who did not place in the top-10 in Melbourne, the U.S. will still receive a start slot in Athens for the women’s individual pursuit. But now to receive a start position in the women’s points race, Mirabella will need to place in the top four in that event this evening.

Should Mirabella not place in the top four tonight, the U.S. can still receive a start position in the women’s points race based on Mirabella’s world cup performance. UCI rules dictate that the top-two riders in the overall world cup standings whose country has not otherwise qualified through its performance in the individual pursuit or points race at the world championships will secure start positions for their respective countries in Athens. Mirabella finished tenth overall in the world cup standings.

In the only other action for U.S. athletes this evening, Reed will contest the 5th-8th place round of the women’s sprint. Reed has already had a successful world championships. She rode to a bronze medal in the keirin and secured two Olympic start positions for the U.S., one each in the women’s sprint and the 500m time trial based on her top-10 finish in the women’s sprint.

Reed’s medal was the first for an American at a track cycling world championships since Erin Hartwell took bronze in the men’s kilometer time trial in 1998.