EUGENE, Ore. (KMTR) - It's known as TrackTown USA, but Eugene, Oregon is producing potential Olympians in other sports as well.
Cyclist Kevin Mansker was born in Eugene but now calls Portland his hometown. He started racing in high school and within three years was invited to join the U.S. Cycling Team.
2011 was his breakout year with four top-five finishes at the national level.
Now the 23-year-old’s aim is to get back to London, where he was very impressed by the crowd at a race earlier this year.
“That's a knowledgeable crowd,” Mansker says. “South America has some amazingly loud crowds, but they cheer for their home country — and that's fine — but in Great Britain, they know what they are seeing. If a world record is being set from someone that's not from there, they'll cheer just as loud and it's so phenomenal.”
Mansker currently has or shares nine records at velodromes throughout the United States. Olympic Gold is next on his list of goals.
