| Venue | Chicago, United States  |
|---|---|
| Date(s) | (1893-08-11 - 1893-08-12)11–12 August 1893 |
| Velodrome | South Side Park |
| Events | 3 |
| ← Inaugural championshipsAntwerp 1894 → | |
The 1893 Track Cycling World Championships were the inaugural world championships for track cycling. Before then there had been events described as world championships but without ratification by a world cycling authority. The creation of the International Cycling Association in 1892 made internationally recognised championships possible.
They took place in Chicago, United States. There were three events: sprint, stayers' race (motor-paced) and a 10 km, now classified as a scratch race. The rules allowed for a team race but it was not held. Races were held only for amateurs. Winners received a gold medal and all other participants a silver.
The USA took two of the three gold medals. The table below shows the position had gold, silver and bronze medals been awarded.
Event overview
The first Track Cycling World Championship was held over two days from August 11 to 12. Three events were held at the event with them being the Sprint, Motor-paced and the 10 km. These events were part of the Chicago World's Fair which took place from August 5-12. The three events was part of a week long schedule that also held local events with the major international races being on the weekend. Competitors from ten nations competed in the week long events with the main favorites being the American riders W.W Windle, Arthur Augustus Zimmerman and John S. Johnson.
The first two races of the weekend was the 10km and the sprint. In the 10km, Zimmerman broke the national record with a time of the 15:33 3-5. This improved on the previous record that was set by Seeley in the previous year by three minutes and seven seconds. Julian Perrin Bliss and Johnson rounded out the top three for the United States as every American but Bodes finished ahead of the internationals. Zimmerman then recorded a second win of the night as he won the sprint in only twenty-seven seconds, finishing well ahead of Johnston and Bliss who finished second and third where only American and Canadians riders competed.
The final major international race of the weekend was in the motor-paced with Lawrence Meintjes being the only non-American rider to win a medal at the championships as they finished ahead of Ernst Emil Ulbricht.
Medal summary
Medal table
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  United States (USA) | 2 | 3 | 2 | 7 |
| 2 |  Transvaal (South African Republic) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Totals (2 entries) | 3 | 3 | 2 | 8 | |
References
- "Cyclists to compete". Daily True American. August 3, 1893. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
- "Zimmerman's Great Riding". Daily True American. August 12, 1893. p. 1. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
- Nye, Peter (1988). Hearts of Lions. The History of American Bicycling Racing. New York. p. 47-48.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link). - Ritchie, Andrew (2009). Flying Yankee. The International Career of Arthur Augustus Zimmerman. Cheltenham. pp. 68–75.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link). - "Les premiers championnats du monde de cyclisme en 1893" (in French). Memorie. Retrieved February 12, 2024.