Gary Neiwand (born 4 September 1966) is an Australian retired track cyclist. He is a former world champion, who also won four Olympic medals during his career.[1]

Gary Neiwand
Personal information
Full nameGary Neiwand
Born (1966-09-04) 4 September 1966 (age 58)
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Team information
Current teamTeam FORDE
DisciplineTrack
RoleCoach
Rider typeSprinter
Professional team
1992–1995Foster's
Medal record
Men's track cycling
Representing  Australia
Olympic Games
Silver medal – second place 1992 Barcelona Sprint
Silver medal – second place 2000 Sydney Keirin
Bronze medal – third place 1988 Seoul Sprint
Bronze medal – third place 2000 Sydney Team sprint
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 1993 Hamar Sprint
Gold medal – first place 1993 Hamar Keirin
Gold medal – first place 1996 Manchester Team sprint
Silver medal – second place 1996 Manchester Keirin
Bronze medal – third place 1991 Stuttgart Sprint
Commonwealth Games
Gold medal – first place 1986 Edinburgh Sprint
Gold medal – first place 1990 Auckland Sprint
Gold medal – first place 1994 Victoria Sprint

Biography

edit

Early life and career

edit

Neiwand was born in Melbourne, Victoria, on 4 September 1966, the son of Ronald Charles Neiwand.[2]

Neiwand represented his country at cycling for more than a decade. He was Commonwealth Games sprint champion in 1986 and won his first Olympic medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, winning bronze in the sprint event.

He repeated his success at the Commonwealth Games in 1990, taking the gold in the sprint. Neiwand won his first World Championship medal in 1991 in Stuttgart, winning the bronze in the sprint. He then went on to become the World Champion in both the keirin and sprint in 1993. 1994 saw Neiwand complete a hat-trick, winning his successive third sprint gold medal at the Commonwealth Games.

After cycling

edit

Neiwand spiralled into depression after missing his goal of a gold medal in the Keirin at the 2000 Summer Olympics. He began drinking heavily, his marriage fell apart and he gained weight, ballooning to 116 kg.[3]

In 2006 Neiwand was sentenced to eighteen months in prison for breaching a court order preventing him from harassing a former girlfriend.[4]

Neiwand began his sentence at Port Phillip before being moved to Beechworth. He was released on probation after serving nine months in jail. He has since rebuilt his relationship with his children, Malcolm and Courtney, and ex-wife, Cathy.[3]

Neiwand joined the Sunrise Foundation in 2007, an organisation which, through the high schools, aims to demystify and tackle depression in the community. It is run by former North Melbourne and Sydney footballer, Wayne Schwass.[5]

On 5 December 2011 Niewand pleaded guilty to two charges of wilful and obscene exposure in Melbourne, after having been charged on two separate occasions in January and May 2011 for exposing himself to women while masturbating in his car. These offences occurred after Niewand had been released on a court order in December 2010 on unrelated charges, where he had been ordered to attend Forensicare and counselling about his behaviour. The court heard that having attended counselling over the previous six months Niewand had made significant progress, had his drinking problems under control, and was concerned and upset about his offending and his predicament. The magistrate regarded a report from the Forensicare counsellor as "promising", adjourning the case until March 2012[6] when he was sentenced to four months jail, wholly suspended for two years.[7]

Awards and honours

edit

Neiwand received the Australian Sports Medal on 14 July 2000[8] and the Centenary Medal on 1 January 2001.[9][10]

Major results

edit
1986
1st Sprint, Commonwealth Games
3rd Sprint, Goodwill Games, Moscow
1988
3rd Sprint Summer Olympics
1990
1st Sprint, Commonwealth Games
1991
3rd Sprint, UCI Track Cycling World Championships
1992
2nd Sprint, Summer Olympics
1st Sprint, Copenhagen
1993
2nd Sprint, GP de Paris
1st Keirin, UCI Track Cycling World Championships
1st Sprint, UCI Track Cycling World Championships
1994
1st Sprint, Commonwealth Games
1996
2nd Sprint, Busto Garolfo
2nd Keirin, UCI Track Cycling World Championships
1st Team Sprint, UCI Track Cycling World Championships (with Darryn William Hill & Shane Kelly)
1999
2nd Team Sprint, Frisco
2000
3rd Sprint, Summer Olympics
2nd Keirin, Summer Olympics

References

edit
  1. ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Gary Neiwand Olympic Results". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  2. ^ "Melb: Gold medal cyclist among the dead". Wheels of Justice. 25 March 2007. Archived from the original on 26 July 2008.
  3. ^ a b Michael Stevens (16 May 2007). "Gary Neiwand a new man". Herald Sun.
  4. ^ "Neiwand given 18 months for stalking".
  5. ^ Natalie Tkaczuk Sikora (20 November 2007). "Cycle champion Gary Neiwand casts his net". Herald Sun.
  6. ^ Butcher, Steve (5 December 2011). "Cycling champ guilty on obscene exposure counts". The Age. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 5 December 2011.
  7. ^ Russell, Mark (5 September 2012). "Gary Neiwand spared jail for indecent acts". The Age. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 22 December 2014.
  8. ^ "Search Australian Honours; Name: NEIWAND, Gary Malcolm; Award: Australian Sports Medal". Australian Government.
  9. ^ "Search Australian Honours; Name: NEIWAND, Gary Malcolm; Award: Centenary Medal". Australian Government.
  10. ^ "Australian Cycling Federation Honour Roll, Life Members and Meritorious Medals". Archived from the original on 23 July 2012.
edit