Leigh Hoffman Wins Silver at UCI Track Cycling Worlds

Australian cyclist Leigh Hoffman earned a brilliant silver medal in the men’s keirin at the 2025 UCI Track Cycling World Championships held in Santiago, Chile. Facing off against a world-class field, Hoffman delivered an outstanding performance, finishing behind Dutch star Harrie Lavreysen, who secured his 18th world title. The result marked Hoffman’s first individual world championship medal and confirmed his growing reputation as one of Australia’s top sprint talents.

Dutch champion Harrie Lavreysen once again proved his dominance in track cycling. Already regarded as the greatest sprinter in the sport’s history, Lavreysen powered ahead from two-and-a-half laps to go, leaving the rest of the field behind. His victory in Santiago added yet another rainbow jersey to his remarkable collection, further cementing his legacy. Hoffman, chasing hard, managed to hold off Jeffrey Hoogland for second place, finishing comfortably in silver position.

Hoffman’s achievement carries extra significance for Australia’s cycling program. Following Olympic silver medallist Matthew Richardson’s surprising switch to represent Great Britain after the Paris Games, Hoffman was seen as a key figure to fill the void in the men’s sprint lineup. The 25-year-old from Whyalla rose to the challenge superbly, showing strength, composure, and tactical awareness against the world’s best riders. His silver medal proved that Australia remains a major force in international sprint cycling.

While this was Hoffman’s first individual medal at a world championship, he is no stranger to the podium. He was part of Australia’s gold-winning team sprint squad in 2022, and helped secure silver medals in 2023 and 2024, followed by a bronze earlier in this championship. The Santiago silver now adds an important solo milestone to his growing career.

Hoffman started the race from the fourth position in the train, following Mikhail Takovlev and Lavreysen, and positioned himself perfectly behind Jeffrey Hoogland. As the derny pulled off, he stayed alert and accelerated strongly when Lavreysen made his early move.

Although Australia has enjoyed success in women’s keirin events, men’s triumphs have been rare. Ellesse Andrews won gold in 2023 for the women’s team, but no Australian man has claimed the keirin world title since Shane Perkins in 2011. Matthew Richardson’s silver in 2023 was the last major result until Hoffman’s breakthrough this year. His medal offers a promising sign for Australia’s sprinting future heading into the next Olympic cycle.

Earlier in the same championship, Australia’s men’s team pursuit squad delivered another strong performance, earning a silver medal — their first in the event since 2019. The team of Olympic champions Oliver Bleddyn, Conor Leahy, Blake Agnoletto, and James Moriarty faced Denmark in the gold medal race. However, the Danes proved too strong, finishing the 4,000-metre event in 3:43.915 with an average speed of 64.31 km/h. The Australian quartet came in over three seconds behind.

Denmark’s victory marked their fourth world title in the men’s team pursuit across the last six championships. Despite finishing second, the Australians showed determination and improvement, and they viewed the result as part of their ongoing growth. Conor Leahy said the team experimented with a new strategy for the final kilometre. “It didn’t quite work out the way we wanted, but we can take confidence from parts of the ride and keep building,” Leahy explained.

New Zealand repeated their 2023 success by securing bronze in the same event.

In the women’s team pursuit, Australia finished seventh overall, while Italy claimed gold ahead of Germany, with Great Britain taking bronze. Meanwhile, the women’s elimination race saw chaos with multiple crashes and restarts before Ireland’s Lara Gillespie won the gold. Gillespie displayed impressive composure amid the disruptions to edge out Great Britain’s Katie Archibald in the closing laps.

Australian rider Alyssa Polites was involved in one of the early crashes, losing control of her front wheel and colliding with Valeriya Valgonen. The heavy crash caused a long delay as officials repaired the damaged track surface. Fortunately, both riders escaped serious injury.

Lara Gillespie’s victory was an emotional moment for Ireland. Having trained extensively in Australia, she credited her experience and composure for handling the multiple restarts. “It’s really special. I’m so proud to do it for my country,” she said after winning. “I kept calm and believed in myself through all the chaos.”

Her success added a positive ending to a dramatic day of racing, which showcased the unpredictable and thrilling nature of track cycling at the world level.

Australia’s performance at the 2025 UCI Track Cycling World Championships was one of consistency and promise. With Leigh Hoffman’s keirin silver and the men’s pursuit team’s strong finish, the country reaffirmed its presence among the top cycling nations. While Denmark and the Netherlands continue to dominate in their respective events, Australia’s results demonstrate that its new generation of riders is ready to challenge the best on the world stage.