View source for Alison Shanks

{{Short description|New Zealand cyclist}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=March 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2021}}
{{Infobox cyclist
| name           = Alison Shanks
| image          = Alison Shanks.jpg
| nickname       =
| birth_date     = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1982|12|13}}
| birth_place    = [[Dunedin]], New Zealand
| height         = 1.71 m<ref name="Beijing">{{cite web| url=http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/ENG/BIO/Athlete/1/219251.shtml| title=Athlete Biography – SHANKS Alison | publisher=Beijing Olympics official website|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080903142206/http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/ENG/BIO/Athlete/1/219251.shtml|archive-date=3 September 2008}}</ref>
| weight         = 63&nbsp;kg<ref name="Beijing" />
| currentteam    =
| discipline     = Track & Road
| role           = Rider
| ridertype      = Pursuit/Time-trial
| amateuryears1  =
| amateurteam1   =
| proyears1      = 2007–2008
| proteam1       = Jazz Apple Cycling Team<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/jazz-apple-team-to-return-to-north-america |title=Jazz Apple Team to return to North America  |date=31 March 2008 |website=[[cyclingnews.com]]|access-date=21 January 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/jazz-apple-team-to-return-to-north-america |title=Jazz Apple Team to return to North America |last1=Atkins |first1=Ben|date=20 April 2009 |website=[[cyclingnews.com]]|access-date=21 January 2015}}</ref>
| majorwins      =
| medaltemplates =
{{MedalCountry|{{NZL}}}}
{{MedalSport|Women's [[track cycling]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[UCI Track Cycling World Championships|World Championships]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[2009 UCI Track Cycling World Championships|2009 Pruszków]]|[[2009 UCI Track Cycling World Championships – Women's individual pursuit|Individual pursuit]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[2012 UCI Track Cycling World Championships|2012 Melbourne]]|[[2012 UCI Track Cycling World Championships – Women's individual pursuit|Individual pursuit]]}}
{{MedalSilver|2009 Pruszków|[[2009 UCI Track Cycling World Championships – Women's team pursuit|Team pursuit]]}}
{{MedalSilver|[[2011 UCI Track Cycling World Championships|2011 Apeldoorn]]|[[2011 UCI Track Cycling World Championships – Women's individual pursuit|Individual pursuit]]}}
{{MedalBronze|[[2010 UCI Track Cycling World Championships|2010 Ballerup]]|[[2010 UCI Track Cycling World Championships – Women's team pursuit|Team pursuit]]}}
{{MedalBronze|2010 Ballerup|[[2010 UCI Track Cycling World Championships – Women's individual pursuit|Individual pursuit]]}}
{{MedalBronze|2011 Apeldoorn|[[2011 UCI Track Cycling World Championships – Women's team pursuit|Team pursuit]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Commonwealth Games]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[2010 Commonwealth Games|2010 Delhi]]|[[Cycling at the 2010 Commonwealth Games – Women's individual pursuit|Individual pursuit]]}}
}}

'''Alison Shanks''' (born 13 December 1982) is a retired New Zealand professional [[racing cyclist]], specialising in the [[individual pursuit]] and [[team pursuit]] in [[track cycling]] and [[individual time trial]] in [[road bicycle racing]]. Prior to that she was an [[Otago Rebels]] netballer, the sport she played for more than five years before her cycling career.

==Cycling career==
Shanks began cycling in 2005, and soon enjoyed success. After more than five years competing for the [[Otago Rebels]] in the [[National Bank Cup]] netball, she competed at the [[2006 Commonwealth Games]] in [[Melbourne]] where she finished fourth in the pursuit. She placed eighth in the pursuit during her first appearance at the [[UCI Track Cycling World Championships|World Championships]] in [[2006 UCI Track Cycling World Championships|2006]], and improved on this to finish seventh in [[2007 UCI Track Cycling World Championships|2007]].<ref>{{cite web| url=http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/1828930/1844467| title=Alison Shanks| publisher=TVNZ| date=16 June 2008}}</ref>

Shanks competed at the [[2008 Summer Olympics]] in the [[Cycling at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Women's individual pursuit|individual pursuit]], where she placed 4th overall after being defeated by [[Lesya Kalytovska]] of [[Ukraine]] in the [[bronze medal]] match. Prior to this, in defeating [[Sarah Hammer]] of the [[United States]] in her semifinal, she set a new personal best of 3:32.478 minutes.

She began her 2009 season by competing in the [[2008–2009 UCI Track Cycling World Cup Classics]] in Beijing, she lowered her personal best once more with a time of 3:30.685 to take the gold medal. Shanks also rode the team pursuit with [[Kaytee Boyd]] and [[Lauren Ellis (cyclist)|Lauren Ellis]], in a time of 3:28.044, becoming the fastest qualifiers.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.odt.co.nz/sport/cycling/39907/cycling-campaign-starts-with-world-cup-win| title=Cycling: Campaign starts with World Cup win| author=Alistair McMurran| work=[[Otago Daily Times]] | date=19 January 2009}}</ref> They went on to take the gold medal in a time of 3:24.421, setting the second fastest time in the world behind the 3:22.425 world record set by [[Great Britain]] at [[Manchester]] in 2008.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.odt.co.nz/sport/other-sport/39918/cycling-team-pursuit-gold-nz-women| title=Team pursuit gold for NZ women| work=[[Otago Daily Times]] | date=19 January 2009}}</ref>

Shanks then continued her great form by winning the [[2009 UCI Track Cycling World Championships]] [[2009 UCI Track Cycling World Championships – Women's individual pursuit|individual pursuit]] in [[Pruskow]], [[Poland]] on 25 March in a time of 3:29.807 beating [[Wendy Houvenaghel]] of [[Great Britain]]. She finished 2nd in the [[2009 UCI Track Cycling World Championships – Women's team pursuit|team pursuit]].

At the [[2010 Commonwealth Games]], Shanks won a gold medal in the [[Cycling at the 2010 Commonwealth Games – Women's individual pursuit|individual pursuit]]. She just nudged out Wendy Houvenaghel of Northern Ireland with a time of 3:30.875.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.3news.co.nz/Alison-Shanks-powers-to-gold-for-NZ/tabid/415/articleID/180486/Default.aspx| title=Alison Shanks powers to gold for NZ| publisher=TV3| date=8 October 2010| access-date=9 October 2010| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120929003245/http://www.3news.co.nz/Alison-Shanks-powers-to-gold-for-NZ/tabid/415/articleID/180486/Default.aspx| archive-date=29 September 2012| url-status=dead}}</ref>

She won bronze at the [[2010 UCI Track Cycling World Championships]] in the [[2010 UCI Track Cycling World Championships&nbsp;– Women's team pursuit|team pursuit]], setting a world record. At the [[2011 UCI Track Cycling World Championships]] she won silver in the [[2011 UCI Track Cycling World Championships – Women's individual pursuit|individual pursuit]] and bronze in the [[2011 UCI Track Cycling World Championships – Women's team pursuit|team pursuit]].

In 2012, she finished second at the [[2011–2012 UCI Track Cycling World Cup Classics – Round 4 – Women's individual pursuit|individual pursuit at the Track Cycling World Cup in London]].  Then on 8 April 2012 Shanks won gold in the [[2012 UCI Track Cycling World Championships – Women's individual pursuit|individual pursuit]] at the [[UCI Track Cycling World Championships]] in Melbourne, Australia with a time of 3:30.199.

At the [[2012 Summer Olympics]], she competed in the [[Cycling at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Women's team pursuit|Women's team pursuit]] and placed 5th.

In road cycling she won the [[New Zealand National Road Race Championships]] in 2007 and placed 3rd in 2006. She won the [[New Zealand National Time Trial Championships]] in 2006 and 2007, placed 2nd in 2010 and placed 3rd four times.

Shanks retired from professional cycling early in 2014. She has since moved to [[Cambridge, New Zealand|Cambridge]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Strang |first=Ben |title=Alison Shanks' individual pursuit comes to end |url= http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/other-sports/9672644/Alison-Shanks-individual-pursuit-comes-to-end |access-date=15 April 2014 |newspaper=[[stuff.co.nz]] |date=1 February 2014}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Born in [[Dunedin]], New Zealand, on 13 December 1982, Shanks graduated from the [[University of Otago]] in 2005 with a BCom(Hons) in marketing and a BSc in human nutrition.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.alisonshanks.co.nz/?page_id=3| title=Ali's Story| publisher=alisonshanks.co.nz| access-date=22 January 2009| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090217000328/http://www.alisonshanks.co.nz/?page_id=3| archive-date=17 February 2009| url-status=dead}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
*{{procyclingstats | alison-shanks}}
*{{Cycling Archives|24047}}

{{UCI Track Cycling World Champions – Women's individual pursuit}}
{{2006 New Zealand Commonwealth Games team}}
{{2008 New Zealand Olympic team}}
{{2010 New Zealand Commonwealth Games team}}
{{2012 New Zealand Olympic team}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shanks, Alison}}
[[Category:1982 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:New Zealand female cyclists]]
[[Category:Cyclists at the 2008 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Cyclists at the 2012 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Olympic cyclists for New Zealand]]
[[Category:University of Otago alumni]]
[[Category:UCI Track Cycling World Champions (women)]]
[[Category:Cyclists at the 2010 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games gold medallists for New Zealand]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Dunedin]]
[[Category:New Zealand track cyclists]]
[[Category:Otago Rebels players]]
[[Category:Medallists at the 2010 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:21st-century New Zealand sportswomen]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games gold medallists in cycling]]