Ryan Sullivan facts for kids
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| Born | 20 January 1975 Fitzroy, Victoria |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Australian |
| Career history | |
| Great Britain | |
| 1994–1997, 1999–2003, 2006, 2008, 2012 | Peterborough Panthers |
| 1998, 2004–2005 | Poole Pirates |
| Poland | |
| 1996–1998, 2000, 2007–2013 | Toruń |
| 1999 | Bydgoszcz |
| 2001–2006 | Częstochowa |
| Sweden | |
| 1997, 2003–2004 | Kaparna |
| 2001–2002, 2010 | Rospiggarna |
| 2005–2008 | Piraterna |
| 2011 | Indianerna |
| Denmark | |
| 2007 | Brovst |
| 2010 | Slangerup |
| Individual honours | |
| 1997 | Intercontinental Champion |
| 1995 | Overseas Champion |
| 2004 | Australian Champion |
| 1995, 1996, 1997 | South Australian Champion |
| 1993, 1996 | Australian Under-21 Champion |
| 1991 | Australian Under-16 Champion |
| 1997, 2003 | Golden Helmet of Pardubice |
| 2000 | Elite League Riders' Champion |
| Team honours | |
| 1999 | World Team Cup |
| 2001, 2002 | World Cup |
| 1997 | Elite League Fours Winner |
| 1997 | Swedish Allsvenskan |
| 1999, 2001, 2004 | Elite League Champion |
| 1999, 2004 | Elite League KO Cup Winner |
| 1999 | Craven Shield Winner |
| 2001, 2002, 2003 | Swedish Elitserien |
| 2003 | Polish Extraleague |
Ryan Geoffrey Sullivan (born 20 January 1975) is a former Australian motorcycle speedway rider. Speedway is a type of motorcycle racing where riders race special bikes with no brakes around an oval dirt track. Ryan Sullivan won many important championships, including the Australian Solo Championship. He also achieved a career best third place in the 2002 Speedway Grand Prix, which is a big international competition.
Contents
Ryan Sullivan's Racing Journey
Early Days in Australia
Ryan's family moved to Adelaide when he was young. He first became interested in speedway when he realized he wasn't built for Australian Rules Football. His parents bought him a junior speedway bike. He had his first ride in Mildura in 1985. His main training track was the Sidewinders Speedway in Adelaide, which was just for young riders.
Ryan quickly became one of the best junior riders in South Australia. He won the South Australian Under-16 title in 1990 and 1991. He also won junior Pairs Championships several times with teammates. In 1991, he won his first individual Australian title at his home track in Adelaide.
As he got older, Ryan continued to win. He won three South Australian Championships in a row from 1995 to 1997. He also won the Australian Under-21 Speedway Championship in 1993 and 1996. In 2004, Ryan became the first rider from South Australia to win the main Australian Individual Speedway Championship since 1973. He was undefeated in all three rounds of the championship that year.
Racing in England and Europe
Ryan spent a lot of his career racing for the Peterborough Panthers team in Britain, starting in 1994. He won the Elite League Riders' Championship in 2000. He also raced for the Poole Pirates and other teams in Sweden, Poland, and Russia.
In 2012, he returned to Peterborough, but a hand injury ended his season. He announced his retirement from speedway in March 2013.
International Success
Ryan Sullivan competed in many international events. He raced in the Under-21 World Championships in 1995 and 1996. He finished third in 1995 in Finland and second in 1996 in Germany.
His first big international win was the 1995 Overseas Final in England. He was the first Australian to win this event. In 1997, he also won the Intercontinental Final in Sweden, leading an all-Australian top three. Ryan also won the famous Golden Helmet of Pardubice race in the Czech Republic in 1997 and 2003. He was the first Australian to win this race.
Team World Championships
Ryan was a key part of the Australia national speedway team.
- In 1999, he helped Australia win the Speedway World Team Cup. This was Australia's first win in this competition since 1976.
- He also helped Australia win the Speedway World Cup in 2001 and 2002.
- He was part of the team that finished second in the World Cup in 2003 and third in 2007.
Speedway Grand Prix Wins
Ryan was a top rider in the Speedway Grand Prix series from 1998 to 2006. This series features the best speedway riders from around the world. He won four Grand Prix events:
- In 2002, he won the British Grand Prix in Cardiff and the Slovenian Grand Prix.
- In 2003, he won the Swedish Grand Prix and the Scandinavian Grand Prix.
His best overall finish in the Speedway Grand Prix series was third place in 2002.
Major Final Appearances
World Team Cup
- 1999 - Pardubice, Czech Republic - Winner (scored 12 points)
- 2000 - Coventry, England - 4th place (scored 2 points)
World Cup
- 2001 - Wrocław, Poland - Winner (scored 13 points)
- 2002 - Peterborough, England - Winner (scored 17 points)
- 2003 - Vojens, Denmark - 2nd place (scored 10 points)
- 2006 - Reading, England - 4th place (scored 4 points)
- 2007 - Leszno, Poland - 3rd place (scored 7 points)
- 2008 - Vojens, Denmark - 4th place (scored 5 points)
Individual Under-21 World Championship
- 1995 - Tampere, Finland - 3rd place
- 1996 - Olching, Germany - 2nd place
