View source for Wendy Houvenaghel

{{Infobox cyclist
|name           = Wendy Houvenaghel
|image          = Wendy Houvenaghel.jpg
|caption        = At the world championships, 2008
|fullname       = Wendy Louise Houvenaghel
|birth_date     = {{birth date and age|1974|11|27|df=yes}}
|birth_place    = [[Upperlands]], [[County Londonderry]], [[Northern Ireland]]
|height         = {{height|m=1.78|precision=0}}<ref name="Beijing">{{cite web| url=http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/ENG/BIO/Athlete/6/225156.shtml| title=Athlete Biography - HOUVENAGHEL Wendy| publisher=Beijing Olympics official website|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080902005719/http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/ENG/BIO/Athlete/6/225156.shtml|archive-date=2008-09-02}}</ref>
|weight         = {{convert|60|kg|lb stlb|0|abbr=on}}<ref name="Beijing" />
|currentteam    =
|discipline     = Track
|role           = Rider
|ridertype      = Pursuit / Time-trialist
|amateuryears1  = -2004
|amateurteam1   = Camel Valley Cycling
|amateuryears2  = 2010-
|amateurteam2   = Bike Chain Ricci
|proyears1      = 2005–2007
|proteam1       = Science in Sport.com
|proyears2      = 2008–2009
|proteam2       = [[Team Halfords Bikehut]]<ref name="Halfords">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/cycling/7182790.stm|title=GB boss outlines Tour team target|publisher=BBC Sport|date=11 January 2008}}</ref>
|majorwins      = {{flagicon|GBR}} National 3&nbsp;km Pursuit Champion (2005, 2006, 2010) <br> UCI World Cup 3&nbsp;km Individual Pursuit Champion (2005/6, 2006/7, 2009/10) <br> {{flagicon|GBR}} National Time Trial Circuit Champion (2003, 2007, 2011, 2012) <br>{{flagicon|EUR}} European Champion Team Pursuit (2010/11) <br> [[File:Jersey rainbow.svg|20px]] UCI World Track Champion, Team Pursuit (2008, 2009, 2011)
|medaltemplates =
{{MedalCountry| {{GBR2}}}}
{{MedalSport|Women's [[track cycling]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|Olympic Games}}
{{MedalSilver|2008 Beijing|[[Cycling at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Women's individual pursuit|Individual pursuit]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[UCI Track Cycling World Championships|World Championships]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[2008 UCI Track Cycling World Championships|2008 Manchester]]|[[2008 UCI Track Cycling World Championships – Women's team pursuit|Team Pursuit]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[2009 UCI Track Cycling World Championships|2009 Pruszków]]|[[2009 UCI Track Cycling World Championships – Women's team pursuit|Team Pursuit]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[2011 UCI Track Cycling World Championships|2011 Apeldoorn]]|[[2011 UCI Track Cycling World Championships – Women's team pursuit|Team Pursuit]]}}
{{MedalSilver|[[2010 UCI Track Cycling World Championships|2010 Copenhagen]]|[[2010 UCI Track Cycling World Championships – Women's team pursuit|Team Pursuit]]}}
{{MedalSilver|[[2009 UCI Track Cycling World Championships|2009 Pruszków]]|[[2009 UCI Track Cycling World Championships – Women's individual pursuit|Individual Pursuit]]}}
{{MedalSilver|[[2010 UCI Track Cycling World Championships|2010 Copenhagen]]|[[2010 UCI Track Cycling World Championships – Women's individual pursuit|Individual Pursuit]]}}
{{MedalSilver|[[2012 UCI Track Cycling World Championships|2012 Melbourne]]|[[2012 UCI Track Cycling World Championships – Women's individual pursuit|Individual Pursuit]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[European Track Championships|European Elite Championships]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[2010 European Track Championships|2010 Pruszków]]|Team pursuit}}
{{MedalCompetition|Commonwealth Games}}
{{MedalCountry | {{NIR}}}}
{{MedalSilver|2010 Delhi|[[Cycling at the 2010 Commonwealth Games – Women's individual pursuit|Individual Pursuit]]}}
}}

'''Wendy Louise Houvenaghel''' (née '''McLean'''; born 27 November 1974) is a [[Northern Ireland|Northern Irish]] former [[racing cyclist]] from [[Upperlands]], [[County Londonderry]], [[Northern Ireland]],<ref name="pursuit">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics/cycling/7533126.stm|title=Gold Medal Pursuit|author=John Haughey|publisher=BBC Sport|date=30 July 2008|access-date=14 November 2018}}</ref> riding on both the road and [[track cycling|track]], but specialising in the latter. She has represented Great Britain in various [[World Cycling Championships]] and in the 2008 Olympic Games, most notably winning the silver medal at the Beijing Olympic Games, and gold in the [[team pursuit]] at the [[2008 UCI Track World Championships|2008, 2009 and 2011 Track World Championships]]. She has also won many British national titles and represented England at the 2006 Commonwealth Games and [[Northern Ireland]] at the 2010 Commonwealth Games. Houvenaghel is based in Cornwall, England.<ref name="pursuit" />

==Early life==
Houvenaghel grew up in Upperlands near [[Maghera]]. She went to [[Ampertaine Primary School|Ampertaine County Primary School]] in Upperlands and [[Rainey Endowed School|Rainey Endowed Grammar School]] in [[Magherafelt]]. She studied dentistry at the University of Dundee, where she met her husband. After qualifying, she became a dentist in the [[Royal Air Force]], commissioned as a [[Flight Lieutenant]] on a Short Service Commission on 6 August 1998,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=55332|supp=y|page=13343|date=9 September 2003}}</ref> and promoted to Squadron Leader on 6 August 2003.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=57049|supp=y|page=11146|date=7 December 1998}}</ref> Completing her commission in August 2004, Houvenaghel took up a part-time post at a local dental surgery to help fund her ambitions as a cyclist. She was fast-tracked onto the Olympic Podium Plan by the British Cycling Federation in June 2006, with the aim of winning a medal at the Beijing Olympic Games in August 2008.

==Career==
Houvenaghel took part in a cycling time trial in September 2002, with no cycling experience and became the National Circuit Time Trial Champion the following year. She was selected for the GB National squad in 2003 to compete at the World Time Trial Championships in Canada. Prior to this, she had competed in [[time trial]]s within the UK for the amateur club [[Camel Valley Cycling Club|Camel Valley]]. She continued her collection of National time trial titles in 2004, going on to win all British time-trials that she competed in during 2005, and continued in her success throughout 2006. In October 2005, Houvenaghel won her first 3&nbsp;km Individual Pursuit National Track title which was soon followed up by two World Cup wins, aged 31.<ref name="DL">{{cite web|url=http://www.davelloydcoaching.com/cycling-news-and-discussion/female-athletes-flying|title=Female Athletes Flying!|publisher=Dave Lloyd Coaching|date=1 January 2006|access-date=30 March 2008|archive-date=11 June 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080611091858/http://www.davelloydcoaching.com/cycling-news-and-discussion/female-athletes-flying|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Common">{{cite news|url=http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/web/site/BC/gbr/CommonwealthGames2006/20060313_Wendy_Houvenaghel.asp|title=Interview: Wendy Houvenaghel|publisher=[[British Cycling]]|date=13 March 2006|access-date=30 March 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080922195719/http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/web/site/BC/gbr/CommonwealthGames2006/20060313_Wendy_Houvenaghel.asp|url-status=dead|archive-date=22 September 2008}}</ref> Houvenaghel was talent spotted by British Cycling and after physiological testing was fast tracked onto the Olympic Podium Programme tasked with winning a medal at the Beijing Olympic Games within a 2-year time frame.

Focusing on the track, she became the overall World Cup Champion in 2005/6 and made her GB World Track Championships debut in Bordeaux, ranking 5th. She competed for England on both the track and the road at the [[Commonwealth Games]] after being turned down for the Northern Ireland team by the [[British Cycling Federation]].<ref name="Common"/> She retained her 3&nbsp;km Individual Pursuit National title in 2006, and World Cup Champions title in 2006/7. She went one better to finish fourth in the [[2007 UCI Track World Championships|2007 World Championships]], the following year in Majorca.

Just prior to 2008 season, Houvenaghel declared that her focus would be on the 3&nbsp;km Pursuit Track World Championships and 2008 Olympic Games. During the Track World Championships in Manchester, after inconsistent winter training, she was a part of the gold medal-winning women's Team Pursuit. Having also set a personal best, ranking 4th in the Individual Pursuit, her potential to participate successfully at the Olympic Games was evident.
On 15 August 2008 Houvenaghel qualified fastest in the qualification round of the Women's 3000m pursuit at the Beijing Olympics and went on to win the silver medal in the final, losing out on the gold to her teammate by 2 seconds.  She won silver again in the same event at the [[2009 UCI Track Cycling World Championships|2009 Track World Championships]] in Poland, losing the final by 2 seconds after beating her opponent in the qualifying heats. She retained her World Championship title in the Women's Team Pursuit by qualifying fastest during the qualification ride and winning the final.<ref>[http://track-pruszkow2009.com/news/individual_pursuit_shanks_grabs_gold-s544.html Individual Pursuit: Shanks grabs gold.] track-pruszkow2009.com. Accessed 26 March 2009.</ref> The Individual Pursuit was not included in the Olympic Games in London in 2012, a decision which was ratified by the IOC and UCI mid December 2009.

Having become the World Championship and Commonwealth Games Silver Medallist in 2010, the Individual Pursuit National Champion turned her focus and attention to the Team Pursuit Olympic event for the 2010/11 and 2011/12 track seasons. Houvenaghel was a member of the British Team Pursuit team that won the European and World Championship Titles in the 2010/11 track season, finishing the season ranked as World Number One in the UCI World rankings in Dec 2011. Houvenaghel's 2011 World Championship title took her total to three in the discipline of Team Pursuiting.

Despite being a pivotal member of the Team Pursuit Olympic Qualification campaign, Houvenaghel was omitted from selection for racing this event at both the 2012 World Championships in Melbourne and Olympic Games in London. She was however, permitted to race the Individual Pursuit in Melbourne, earning a silver medal.

Houvenaghel had her most successful road campaign in 2012 winning her 4th British National Time Trial title as well as winning the Celtic Chrono and Chrono Champenois International Time Trials. Her performances on the road warranted her selection to compete at the Road World Championships in the Netherlands.

Houvenaghel announced her retirement from the sport on the eve of the 2014 Commonwealth Games after sustaining a back injury in training, forcing her to withdraw from the competition.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/commonwealth-games/28425366|title=Glasgow 2014: Olympian Wendy Houvenaghel retires from cycling|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|date=23 July 2014|publisher=BBC News|access-date=14 November 2018}}</ref>

Houvenaghel won three World Championships competing for Great Britain in the Team Pursuit event and an Olympic silver medal in 2008 in Beijing in the Individual Pursuit. She was also a multiple European and National Champion.

In 2017 Houvenaghel had accused [[British Cycling]] of ageism and 'win-at-all-cost' culture.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/wendy-houvenaghel-accuses-british-cycling-of-ageism-and-a-win-at-all-cost-culture/|title=Wendy Houvenaghel accuses British Cycling of 'ageism' and a 'win-at-all-cost' culture|work=[[Cycling News]]|date=24 March 2017|access-date=14 November 2018}}</ref>

===Palmarès===
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
;2003
:Gold British National Time Trial Circuit Championships

;2004
:Gold British National 10 mile Time Trial
:Silver British National 25 mile Time Trial
:Silver British National Time Trial Circuit Championships

;2005
:Gold British National 10 mile Time Trial
:Gold British National 25 mile Time Trial
:Bronze UCI 1.1 [[Chrono Champenois]] Time Trial, France
:Gold British National Track Championships 3&nbsp;km Pursuit
:UCI Track World Cup Series Champion 3&nbsp;km Pursuit 2005/6
::Gold Sydney Round
::Silver Moscow Round

;2006
:6th Commonwealth Games Time Trial, Melbourne
:14th Commonwealth Games Road Race, Melbourne
:5th UCI Track World Championships debut Bordeaux
:Gold British National 10 mile time trial
:Gold British National 25 mile time trial
:Silver British National Time Trial Circuit Championships
:4th UCI 1.1 Chrono Champenois Time Trial, France
:Gold British National Track Championships 3&nbsp;km Pursuit
:UCI Track World Cup Series Champion 3&nbsp;km Pursuit 2006/7
::Gold Moscow Round
::Silver Sydney Round

;2007
:4th UCI World Track Cycling Championships 3&nbsp;km Pursuit Palma
:Gold British National Time Trial Circuit Championships
:NATIONAL RECORD 10 mile Time Trial

;2008 (Team Halfords Bikehut)
:Gold [[2008 UCI Track Cycling World Championships]], [[2008 UCI Track Cycling World Championships – Women's team pursuit|Team Pursuit]] Manchester
:4th [[2008 UCI Track Cycling World Championships]], [[2008 UCI Track Cycling World Championships – Women's individual pursuit|3 km Pursuit]] Manchester
:Silver [[File:Silver medal olympic.svg|15px]] [[Cycling at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Women's individual pursuit|2008 Olympic Games]] 3&nbsp;km Pursuit Beijing China
:Gold UCI World Cup Manchester 3&nbsp;km Individual Pursuit TRACK RECORD

;2009
:Gold UCI Track Cycling World Championships, [[2009 UCI Track Cycling World Championships – Women's team pursuit|Team Pursuit]] Poland
:Silver UCI Track Cycling World Championships, [[2009 UCI Track Cycling World Championships – Women's individual pursuit|3 km Pursuit]] Poland
:Silver British National Circuit Time Trial Championships
:Gold UCI 1.1 Chrono Champenois Time Trial, France
:Gold UCI Track World Cup 3&nbsp;km Pursuit, Manchester
:Gold [[2009–2010 UCI Track Cycling World Cup Classics – Round 1 – Women's team pursuit|UCI Track World Cup Team Pursuit, Manchester]], World record
:Gold [[2009–2010 UCI Track Cycling World Cup Classics – Round 2 – Women's individual pursuit|UCI Track World Cup 3&nbsp;km Pursuit, Melbourne]]
:Silver [[2009–2010 UCI Track Cycling World Cup Classics – Round 2 – Women's team pursuit|UCI Track World Cup Team Pursuit, Melbourne]]

;2010
:Gold [[2009–2010 UCI Track Cycling World Cup Classics – Round 4 – Women's individual pursuit|UCI Track World Cup 3&nbsp;km Pursuit, Beijing]]
:Silver UCI Track Cycling World Championships [[2010 UCI Track Cycling World Championships – Women's team pursuit|Team Pursuit]], Copenhagen
:Silver UCI Track Cycling World Championships [[2010 UCI Track Cycling World Championships – Women's individual pursuit|3km Pursuit]], Copenhagen
:Bronze British National Circuit Time Trial Championships
:4th UCI 1.1 Chrono Champenois Time Trial, France
:Gold National Track Championships 3&nbsp;km Pursuit, Manchester
:Silver Commonwealth Games 3&nbsp;km Pursuit, India
:6th Commonwealth Games Time Trial, India
:Gold {{flagicon|EUR}} European Track Championships Team Pursuit, Poland
:Silver UCI Track World Cup 3&nbsp;km Pursuit, Colombia
:Bronze UCI Track World Cup Team Pursuit, Colombia

;2011
:Gold [[2010–2011 UCI Track Cycling World Cup Classics – Round 4 – Women's team pursuit|UCI Track World Cup Team Pursuit, Manchester]]
:Gold UCI Track Cycling World Championships [[2011 UCI Track Cycling World Championships – Women's team pursuit|Team Pursuit]], Apeldoorn
:NATIONAL RECORD 25 Mile Time Trial
:Gold British National Circuit Time Trial Championships
:Bronze UCI 1.1 Chrono Champenois Time Trial, France
:Bronze British National Track Championships 3&nbsp;km Pursuit, Manchester
:Silver UCI Track World Cup 3&nbsp;km Pursuit, Colombia
:Gold UCI Track World Cup Team Pursuit, Colombia
:1st Team pursuit, [[2010–11 UCI Track Cycling World Ranking]]

;2012
:Gold UCI Track World Cup Team Pursuit, London
:Silve UCI Track Cycling World Championships 3&nbsp;km Pursuit, Melbourne
:Gold UCI 1.2 Celtic Chrono Time Trial, Belfast, N Ireland
:Gold British National Circuit Time Trial Championships
:Gold UCI 1.1 Chrono Champenois Time Trial, France
:Silver Duo Normande Time Trial, France (with WO1 Sean Childs RNRMCA)

{{div col end}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Wikipedia|Wendy Houvenaghel}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Houvenaghel, Wendy}}
[[Category:1974 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Alumni of the University of Dundee]]
[[Category:British dentists]]
[[Category:British female cyclists]]
[[Category:British track cyclists]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games competitors for England]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games medallists in cycling]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games silver medallists for Northern Ireland]]
[[Category:Cyclists at the 2006 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:Competitors at the 2008 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Cyclists at the 2010 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:Cyclists from Northern Ireland]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2008 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Olympic cyclists of Great Britain]]
[[Category:Olympic medalists in cycling]]
[[Category:Olympic silver medallists for Great Britain]]
[[Category:People educated at Rainey Endowed School]]
[[Category:People from County Londonderry]]
[[Category:Royal Air Force officers]]
[[Category:UCI Track Cycling World Champions (women)]]
[[Category:Women in the Royal Air Force]]