ATLANTA, June 11, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- USA Cycling announced Thursday that Team Novo Nordisk's Mandy Marquardt is part of its long team for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games slated to be held in summer 2021.
"Mandy is an outstanding athlete and we've seen tremendous growth in her endurance and abilities over the years," said Team Novo Nordisk CEO and co-founder Phil Southerland. "Mandy has been an instrumental part of our program for more than a decade and serves as the team's standout female professional athlete. She's put together some strong performances over the past year and we are proud to have her named to the longlist to represent the United States at the Tokyo Olympic Games and show the world what is possible with diabetes."
Diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when she was 16, the now 28-year-old Marquardt represented the United States at the 2020 UCI Track World Championships in Berlin, Germany. In 2016, she was named to the U.S. Olympic Long Team for track sprinting and has represented the United States at multiple UCI Track World Cups and World Championships.
Career highlights include 18-time U.S. National Champion, two-time U.S. National Track Record Holder – 500m Time Trial and Team Sprint (set in 2016), Pan American Track Champion (2017 Team Sprint), five-time Pan American Track medalist (2016 Team Sprint-Bronze, 2017 Keirin-Silver, 2017 500m Time Trial-Bronze, 2018 Team Sprint-Silver, 2019 Sprint-Bronze) and continuous Team USA World Cup member (since 2014).
"It has always been one of my biggest goals to represent my country at the Olympic Games. I am honored to be named to the USA Cycling Long Team for Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and be one step closer," said Marquardt. "It means the world to me to prove to myself what I'm capable as an athlete and what is possible with diabetes. This motivates me to continue to train each and every day, and to inspire, educate and empower everyone affected by diabetes worldwide to achieve their dreams."
Since graduating from Penn State Lehigh Valley in 2014, Marquardt has been training full-time for UCI track races, UCI Track World Cups and the Olympic Games. The Olympic lives in Allentown, Pennsylvania and spends part of the year training at the Velo Sports Center in Carson, California. When in Pennsylvania, Marquardt trains with Edge Cycling and is coached by Edge Cycling Director Andrew Harris. She also serves on the Penn State Lehigh Valley Alumni Society Board of Directors. Marquardt remains a Penn State Lehigh Valley cycling coach but has had to take a backseat to prioritize her quest to become an Olympian.
The postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympics will take place from July 23 to August 8, 2021. USA Cycling announced their Olympic Long Teams for the Road, Track, and Mountain Bike disciplines. Marquardt was confirmed as a member of the Long Team for Women's Track with the final selection to be determined in late spring of 2021.
About Team Novo Nordisk
Team Novo Nordisk is a global all-diabetes sports team of cyclists spearheaded by the world's first all-diabetes professional cycling team. In 2012, Phil Southerland, co-founder and CEO of the team, and global healthcare company Novo Nordisk, came together to create Team Novo Nordisk, based on a shared vision to inspire, educate and empower people around the world affected by diabetes. For more information, go to http://www.teamnovonordisk.com.
SOURCE Team Novo Nordisk
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