Kristina Clonan: Q&A with the ARA Australian Cycling Team

Since transitioning from the ARA Australian Cycling Team’s endurance program, Kristina Clonan has reinvented herself as a world-class track sprinter.

After a promising endurance career, highlighted by a 2015 Junior Oceania Road Race Championship and an elite Madison national title with Macey Stewart in 2018, Clonan made the transition to become a sprinter when she missed out on Tokyo Olympics selection.

And she hasn't looked back.

At a national level, Clonan has amassed 12 national championships across sprint, keirin, 500m time trial and team sprint since 2020.

One of her career highlights, she says, came at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, winning gold in the 500m time trial and breaking Anna Meares’ championship record in the process.

Read on to get to know more about ARA Australian Cycling Team athlete Kristina Clonan.

Full name: Kristina Jenni Clonan

Nickname/s? Tina

Age? 26

Hometown? Sunny Coast

Home club? Sunshine Coast Cycling Club

Tell us about your family. Mum, dad, my sister and baby niece.

What's your favourite TV show? The Office

What's your cheat meal? Chicken Parmy

What's your coffee order? Skinny flat white

What's your ideal holiday? Somewhere warm with a different culture

When and how did you learn to ride a bike? At my parents business between customers.

How did you get into the sport competitively? Through the Sunshine Coast Cycling Club and through Merv McDonald who saw something in me.

What's your favourite place/track to ride? Why? Anna Meares Velodrome because I’m usually surrounded by the QLD team who feel like home.

What's your favourite event? Why? Maddo because I never have to do one again (and was also my first unexpected national title).

Who is/was your sporting idol? I'm very lucky to be inspired by a quite a lot of fellow athletes, former athletes and coaches but today my answer is Alana Quade nee Boyd and Jordan Kerby.

What has been one of your career highlights? Commonwealth Games when I won the 500mm TT and broke the Games record.

What do you hope to have achieved by the end of your career? A women’s team sprint.

If I wasn't a rider/cyclist, I'd be...playing Rugby 7s