UCI Track Cycling World Championships Make Historic Shanghai Debut

The 2026 UCI Track Cycling World Championships kicked off at the Shanghai Velodrome on Wednesday, marking the first time this top-level event, with more than a century of history, is being held in Shanghai. It's also the highest-level international sporting event staged in the city this year.

The World Championships feature 11 men's and 11 women's events through October 18, gathering 399 riders from 45 teams, including Olympic champions and multiple world championship gold medalists.

On Wednesday evening, China beat Great Britain in the women's team sprint for the crown. The men's team took bronze in the team sprint later, marking the Chinese men's national team's best-ever result in the event.

At the opening ceremony, UCI Vice President Enrico Della Casa praised China as not only an important force in Asian cycling, but also a pivotal player in the development of cycling worldwide. Chongming Island, which just hosted the UCI Women's Road Cycling Race, has also become an important stop on the international cycling calendar.

The appeal of track cycling goes far beyond speed. The sport breaks explosive power, endurance, teamwork and tactics into different events. From the seamless relay of the team pursuit to the breakaway sprint of the keirin and the close-quarters duel of the individual sprint, every event has its own highlights.

At the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, track cycling saw eight world records broken in just two competition days. Therefore, it is regarded as one of the fastest-evolving and most spectator-friendly disciplines in the Olympic program.