Sam Harrison (cyclist)

Samuel James Harrison (born 24 June 1992) is a Welsh racing cyclist. He has twice won medals at the UCI Track Cycling World Championships, in 2011, and 2013.

Cycling career
Harrison is from Risca, Newport. He tried cycling after hearing his friends saying that Newport Velodrome was fun, and at the age of 13 he was soon racing with the local club, Cwmcarn Paragon. He was selected to be a member of British Cycling's Olympic Development Programme in 2008.

Harrison was nominated for the BBC's Young Sports Personality award in 2008, after winning three titles in the youth competition of the British National Track Championships. In February 2009, he was selected to represent Great Britain at the UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships. He also won two medals at the Under-23 European Track Championships.

2011 saw Harrison break-through at a senior level. He won his first competition at the UCI Track World Cup event in Beijing, winning the omnium. The first appearance for Harrison at the UCI World Track Championships came in 2011, in which he won a bronze medal as part of the Team Pursuit. He was selected in the final after regular starter Ed Clancy fell ill. Harrison also finished 11th in the omnium.

Harrison was left out of the Team GB squad for the 2012 World Championships and 2012 Olympic Games after more experienced riders returned to the team. He won the under-23 title at the British National Time Trial Championships. 2013 saw Harrison return to the British squad for the World Championships, in which he formed part of the silver medal winning Team Pursuit team. Harrison signed for the team for the 2014 season.

Harrison represented Wales at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, 2014.

He was named as a member of the team for the 2016 season.

Major results

 * 2009
 * 1st MaillotReinoUnido.PNG Team pursuit, National Track Championships
 * UEC European Junior Track Championships
 * 2nd Silver medal europe.svg Team pursuit
 * 3rd Bronze medal europe.svg Madison
 * 2nd Overall Junior Tour of Wales


 * 2010
 * UCI Junior Track World Championships
 * 2nd Silver medal blank.svg Omnium
 * 2nd Silver medal blank.svg Team pursuit
 * National Track Championships
 * 2nd Silver medal blank.svg Madison
 * 3rd Bronze medal blank.svg Individual pursuit
 * 2nd Overall Junior Tour of Wales
 * 7th Paris–Roubaix Juniors


 * 2011
 * 1st Gold medal blank.svg Omnium – Beijing, UCI Track World Cup
 * National Track Championships
 * 2nd Silver medal blank.svg Individual pursuit
 * 3rd Bronze medal blank.svg Kilo
 * 2nd Silver medal europe.svg Team pursuit, UEC European Under–23 Track Championships
 * 3rd Bronze medal blank.svg Team pursuit, UCI Track World Championships


 * 2012
 * 1st MaillotReinoUnido.PNG Time trial, National Under–23 Road Championships


 * 2013
 * 1st MaillotReinoUnido.PNG Time trial, National Under–23 Road Championships
 * 2nd Silver medal blank.svg Team pursuit, UCI Track World Championships
 * National Track Championships
 * 1st MaillotReinoUnido.PNG Scratch race
 * 2nd Silver medal blank.svg Points race
 * 1st Gold medal blank.svg Team pursuit, UEC European Track Championships


 * 2014
 * 2nd Silver medal blank.svg Team pursuit, National Track Championships


 * 2016
 * 3rd Bronze medal blank.svg Omnium – Glasgow, UCI Track World Cup

Personal life
Harrison attended Coleg Gwent at Crosskeys. Six of Harrison's bicycles were stolen from his family home in June 2009. They were valued at approximately £12,000 and included a bright pink Planet-X team issue bike unavailable in the shops.