| UCI Track Cycling World Championships | |
|---|---|
| Status | Active | 
| Genre | Track cycling | 
| Date(s) | February–April | 
| Frequency | Annually | 
| Location(s) | Worldwide velodromes | 
| Inaugurated | 1893 | 
| Previous event | 2023 | 
| Next event | 2024 | 
| Organised by | UCI | 
The UCI Track Cycling World Championships are the set of world championship events for the various disciplines and distances in track cycling. They are regulated by the Union Cycliste Internationale. Before 1900, they were administered by the UCI's predecessor, the International Cycling Association (ICA).
Current events include: time trial, keirin, individual pursuit, team pursuit, points race, scratch race, sprint, team sprint, omnium, madison and elimination race. Women's events are generally shorter than men's. Events which are no longer held include the motor paced events and tandem events.
History
World championships were first held in 1893, in Chicago, under the ICA. They were for amateurs. Separate professional races were held from 1895, in Cologne. Amateurs and professionals competed in separate events until 1993, after which they raced together in "open" races. Championships are open to riders selected by their national cycling association. They compete in the colours of their country.
The winner of ICA championships received a gold medal. The UCI awards a gold medal and a rainbow jersey to the winner. Silver and bronze medals are awarded to the second and third place contestants. World champions wear their rainbow jersey until the following year's championship, but they may wear it only in the type of event in which they won it. Former champions can wear rainbow cuffs to their everyday jerseys.
World track championships are allocated to different countries each year. They are run by that country's national cycling association, although the top referees (President of the Commissaire's panel – PCP, Secretary, Starter, and Judge Referee) are International Commissaires appointed by the UCI.
Venues
To take advantage of the best weather conditions and reduce the risk of weather-related program changes, the UCI has long organized track world championships in the summer. Until 1966, the competition must by regulation take place on an open-air velodrome. It was not until the 1969 edition, organized at the Antwerps Sportpaleis, that the first championship was held on an indoor velodrome. From 1987, the trend reversed and indoor velodromes took over. From 1987 to 1995, there were five world championships organized on an indoor velodrome. Colombia hosts in 1995 the last track world championship organized outdoor.
Hosts
| Hosts | Editions hosted | 
|---|---|
| 17 | |
| 14 | |
| 13 | |
| 13 | |
| 11 | |
| 10 | |
| 8 | |
| 8 | |
| 5 | |
| 4 | |
| 3 | |
| 2 | |
| 1 | 
Championships
All-time medal table
- Updated after the 2023 World Championships.
 
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 148 | 122 | 133 | 403 | |
| 2 | 116 | 87 | 78 | 281 | |
| 3 | 113 | 102 | 93 | 308 | |
| 4 | 89 | 95 | 105 | 289 | |
| 5 | 87 | 100 | 78 | 265 | |
| 6 | 85 | 79 | 94 | 258 | |
| 7 | 58 | 50 | 35 | 143 | |
| 8 | 55 | 56 | 56 | 167 | |
| 9 | 53 | 46 | 48 | 147 | |
| 10 | 34 | 31 | 28 | 93 | |
| 11 | 33 | 34 | 36 | 103 | |
| 12 | 32 | 40 | 37 | 109 | |
| 13 | 29 | 31 | 30 | 90 | |
| 14 | 24 | 23 | 28 | 75 | |
| 15 | 19 | 22 | 16 | 57 | |
| 16 | 15 | 25 | 26 | 66 | |
| 17 | 14 | 9 | 18 | 41 | |
| 18 | 14 | 2 | 8 | 24 | |
| 19 | 13 | 16 | 16 | 45 | |
| 20 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 25 | |
| 21 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 14 | |
| 22 | 6 | 20 | 16 | 42 | |
| 23 | 5 | 7 | 11 | 23 | |
| 24 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 11 | |
| 25 | 4 | 15 | 12 | 31 | |
| 26 | 4 | 7 | 3 | 14 | |
| 27 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 13 | |
| 28 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 15 | |
| 29 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 8 | |
| 30 | 2 | 8 | 11 | 21 | |
| 31 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 9 | |
| 32 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 8 | |
| 33 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 12 | |
| 34 | 1 | 5 | 10 | 16 | |
| 35 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 8 | |
| 36 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | |
| 37 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | |
| 38 | Russian Cycling Federation | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 
| 39 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | |
| 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | ||
| 41 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| 42 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 44 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 47 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | |
| 48 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Totals (50 entries) | 1092 | 1089 | 1092 | 3273 | |
Most successful athletes
Updated after the 2023 World Championships.
Men
| No | Athlete | Nation | Total | Years | Events | |||
| 1 | Arnaud Tournant | 14 | 3 | 2 | 19 | 1997-2008 | 1 km time trial, Keirin, Sprint, Team sprint | |
| 2 | Harrie Lavreysen | 13 | 3 | 0 | 16 | 2017-2023 | Keirin, Sprint, Team sprint | |
| 3 | Chris Hoy | 11 | 8 | 6 | 25 | 1999-2012 | 1 km time trial, Keirin, Sprint, Team sprint | |
| 4 | Florian Rousseau | 10 | 2 | 4 | 16 | 1993-2002 | 1 km time trial, Sprint, Team sprint | |
| 5 | Urs Freuler | 10 | 0 | 5 | 15 | 1981-1989 | Keirin, Points race, Team Pursuit | |
| 6 | Koichi Nakano | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 1977-1986 | Sprint | |
| 7 | Jeffrey Hoogland | 9 | 8 | 0 | 17 | 2016-2023 | 1 km time trial, Keirin, Sprint, Team sprint | |
| 8 | Cameron Meyer | 9 | 4 | 2 | 15 | 2009-2018 | Madison, Points race, Team Pursuit | |
| 9 | Grégory Baugé | 9 | 4 | 1 | 14 | 2006-2019 | Sprint, Team sprint | |
| 10 | Daniel Morelon | 8 | 3 | 5 | 16 | 1964-1980 | Keirin, Sprint, Tandem | 
Women
| No | Athlete | Nation | Total | Years | Events | |||
| 1 | Anna Meares | 11 | 10 | 6 | 26 | 2003-2015 | 500 m time trial, Keirin, Sprint, Team sprint | |
| 2 | Kristina Vogel | 11 | 1 | 4 | 16 | 2012-2018 | Keirin, Sprint, Team sprint | |
| 3 | Félicia Ballanger | 10 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 1994-1999 | 500 m time trial, Sprint | |
| 4 | Victoria Pendleton | 9 | 5 | 2 | 16 | 2005-2012 | 500 m time trial, Keirin, Sprint, Team sprint | |
| 5 | Kirsten Wild | 9 | 4 | 5 | 18 | 2011-2021 | Madison, Omnium, Points race, Scratch | |
| 6 | Sarah Hammer | 8 | 5 | 2 | 15 | 2006-2017 | Individual Pursuit, Omnium, Points race, Team Pursuit | |
| 7 | Lea Friedrich | 8 | 3 | 2 | 13 | 2020-2023 | 500 m time trial, Keirin, Sprint, Team sprint | |
| 8 | Emma Hinze | 8 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 2019-2023 | 500 m time trial, Keirin, Sprint, Team sprint | |
| 9 | Natallia Tsylinskaya | 8 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 2000-2007 | 500 m time trial, Sprint | |
| 10 | Chloé Dygert | 8 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 2016-2023 | Individual Pursuit, Team Pursuit | 
Results by country
 Argentina
 Australia
 Austria
 Belarus
 Belgium
 Brazil
 Canada
 Chile
 Chinese Taipei
 Cuba
 Denmark
 Finland
 France
 Greece
 Hong Kong
 Ireland
 Italy
 Japan
 Kazakhstan
 Lithuania
 Malaysia
 Mexico
 Netherlands
 New Zealand
 Poland
 Russia
 Slovakia
 South Africa
 South Korea
 Spain
 Suriname
 Switzerland
 Trinidad and Tobago
 Ukraine
 United States
 Uzbekistan
 Venezuela
Results by event
- UCI Track Cycling World Championships – Men's 1 km time trial
 - UCI Track Cycling World Championships – Men's individual pursuit
 - UCI Track Cycling World Championships – Men's keirin
 - UCI Track Cycling World Championships – Men's madison
 - UCI Track Cycling World Championships – Men's omnium
 - UCI Track Cycling World Championships – Men's points race
 - UCI Track Cycling World Championships – Men's scratch
 - UCI Track Cycling World Championships – Men's sprint
 - UCI Track Cycling World Championships – Men's team pursuit
 - UCI Track Cycling World Championships – Men's team sprint
 - UCI Track Cycling World Championships – Men's tandem (defunct)
 - UCI Track Cycling World Championships – Women's 500 m time trial
 - UCI Track Cycling World Championships – Women's individual pursuit
 - UCI Track Cycling World Championships – Women's keirin
 - UCI Track Cycling World Championships – Women's madison
 - UCI Track Cycling World Championships – Women's omnium
 - UCI Track Cycling World Championships – Women's points race
 - UCI Track Cycling World Championships – Women's scratch
 - UCI Track Cycling World Championships – Women's sprint
 - UCI Track Cycling World Championships – Women's team pursuit
 - UCI Track Cycling World Championships – Women's team sprint
 - UCI Motor-paced World Championships (defunct)
 
See also
References
 Media related to UCI Track World Championships at Wikimedia Commons
- 1 2 3 4 Williams, Richard (21 March 2014). "Historic Vigorelli velodrome rescued by volunteers who fought off inertia". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 March 2014.
 
