In a remarkable journey from childhood BMX racer to world-class cyclist, Old Bedfordian Ethan Vernon (07-18) is set to represent Team GB in the highly anticipated Team Pursuit event at the Paris Olympics. Ethan started Bedford School in 2007 at the tender age of 7 years and left aged 18 in 2018. His first major event was at the young age of 17 whilst still at school, when he represented Team Wales at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia. During this time, he was studying for his A-levels in maths, geography, and design technology.
Since then, Ethan has been instrumental in securing Team GB’s position as a formidable force in track cycling. After a stellar season that saw him win a World Championship team title in 2022 and individual gold a year later, Ethan is ready to take to the Olympic stage for the second time. His versatility and skill have been evident as he transitioned from being a successful track cyclist to a professional road racer, competing in his first Grand Tour at the Giro d’Italia earlier this year for the Israel Premiertech Pro Cycling team.
Could it be a good omen that exactly 100 years ago in the very same city that two Bedford School alumni won gold at the 1924 Paris Olympics, contributing to the school’s tally of 12 Olympic medals in total?
Track and field athlete OB Harold Abrahams (1908-13) won the blue riband event of the 1924 Paris Olympics – the 100-metre sprint in a time of 10.6 seconds, a feat that went on to be immortalised in the 1981 film, Chariots of Fire. Harold also went on to win a second Olympic medal at those games – a silver as the opening runner for the 4 x 100m team. Meanwhile, across town on the River Seine, OB Jack Beresford (1913-17) won his first Olympic gold medal in the single scull which then saw him go on to become the most decorated Olympian competing in five Olympic Games, winning medals in all of them – a record only to be broken by Sir Steve Redgrave some 92 years later.
Fast forward to the present day and the 2024 Team GB pursuit squad, which includes Ethan, has been training rigorously to perfect their strategy and pace. Ethan’s role as the lead-off man in the pursuit quartet is critical, as he sets the team up and establishes the pace for the race. “It’s a really fine line getting that right,” Ethan told BBC Look East earlier this month when commenting on the precision required for the lead-off position.
Ethan’s commitment to the sport and his country is unwavering. “The team pursuit is a true test of strategy, speed, and endurance. It is about which team has prepared the best and put their resources in the right places,” said Ethan speaking to BBC Look East. With a track record of success, including helping Team GB win the world pursuit title in France in 2022, European gold in the Netherlands in January, and the Track Nations Cup in Canada in April, Ethan is a strong contender for gold in Paris.
The Paris Olympics presents an opportunity for Team GB to reclaim their dominance in the Team Pursuit event, an event they have historically excelled in. Ethan and his teammates are determined to bring home the gold and continue Great Britain’s legacy in track cycling.
The Men’s Team Pursuit will take place in the National Velodrome in Paris on Monday 5 August at 16:27 with the final on Wednesday 7 August at 17:04.
Photo caption: Ethan Vernon taken on 12/01/2024 during the 2024 UEC Track Elite European Championships during the Men’s Scratch Race at Omnisport, Apeldoorn, Netherlands.
