Arabic version: بيريس وزاكاريا يستهدفان ذهبية سباق الدراجات الترادفية في غلاسكو

According to ABC News, legally blind cyclist Kane Perris and pilot Luke Zaccaria are among the favourites in the men’s tandem b events at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. The Australian paracycling pair will race at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome in the 1km time trial and sprints, with gold their goal.

Perris, who was born with albinism and has vision loss associated with the condition, said learning to surrender control on a tandem bike took time. He described riding on a steeply banked wooden track without steering control as a challenge to human instinct, but said trust in Zaccaria has grown through their six years together.

Zaccaria first encountered Perris at a talent search day and said the rider’s attitude and mindset immediately stood out. The teammates compare their partnership to an “old couple”, regularly bickering in training while sharing an expectation that both will do the work needed to perform.

That partnership can produce speeds of 75 kilometres per hour, but it has also endured major setbacks. The pair crashed on the opening day of the 2024 paracycling world championships in Rio, leaving Perris with a fractured shoulder, three broken ribs and a punctured lung. They later finished fourth in the 1km time trial at the Paris Paralympics.

Also heading to Glasgow is 20-year-old Liliya Tatarinoff, who moved from the New South Wales Central Coast to Perth a year ago to train at the WA Institute of Sport under Shane Perkins. A reserve in the team sprint, she will compete in the sprints, keirin and 1km time trial after making her elite international debut at last year’s world championships.