Kelland O'Brien

Biography

Kelland O'Brien, hailing from the vibrant suburb of Kew, VIC, was practically born on a bike. Tagged along by his dad to the local BMX tracks, young Kelland quickly found his passion for cycling. Starting in BMX and embracing a variety of cycling disciplines, he eventually set his sights on track cycling, where he truly excelled. By 2015, wearing the green and gold for Australia, he bagged a gold in madison and a bronze in team pursuit at the Junior World Championships. A few years later, he moved to the elite ranks, where he continued his success by claiming dual Oceania titles and a World Championship gold in the individual pursuit. He even set a personal best with a bronze in the same event.

Kelland's journey soared higher in 2018 with dual national and Oceania titles, and a World Cup gold, capped with a memorable gold at the Commonwealth Games in the team pursuit. A historic performance saw his team break the 3:50 barrier, an unforgettable moment in cycling history. The following years saw him defend world titles and even break a world record with his team. Despite setbacks, including a crash that led to surgery in 2020, Kelland’s resilience shone through at the Tokyo Olympics, where he helped his team to a bronze after a dramatic series of events.

In recent years, Kelland has shown his versatility by switching to road cycling, with promising performances in European classics and national championships. Brent Copeland, his team manager, lauds his development and looks forward to seeing him excel further on the road while balancing his Olympic pursuits.