This interview originally appeared as part of our 2009 World Track Championships Team GB Preview.
Jess Varnish is the junior member of the Worlds squad – in fact, she's still at school. Despite that, this is her second World Championships and we expect to see a significant improvement over last year and make it through to the match sprint rounds in the Sprint competition. We caught up with Jess before she flew out to Poland.
This is your second call up for the Worlds – you were in Manchester last year – how different does it feel this time around?
It's still the same circumstances. I'm still at school, like I was last year, so that's not going to be any different. But I think I'm a definitely stronger this year and hopefully I'll be a faster next week than I was at the National Championships. So I'm like I was last year – really surprised and happy to get picked again and I'm just happy with how things are going at the moment and hopefully it will carry on to next week.
You only just missed the cut in the qualifying for the sprint last year, didn't you?
That's right – but it was extra hard last year, being an Olympic year and everything. Everyone was going extra fast, but hopefully I'll be going a little bit faster this year and everyone will have calmed down a little bit!
But, honestly, I know it's not an Olympic year, but it's going to be equally hard for me to qualify, but that's the goal obviously. Qualify for the sprints and do well in the keirin.
What did winning the Team Sprint Gold with Anna Blyth at the World Cup mean to you, in terms of confidence for the Worlds?
Obviously it defintiely gave me a massive boost, because it was my first Senior race and it was a real shock that me and Anna won that to be honest with you. We both just went a bit faster in the final and I think that just did it for us and we were both really happy with that result.
Realistically, what do you hope to get out of the Worlds this week?
It's hard to say. I haven't really set any specific goals for myself at the World Championships. I think I'm just going to go there and see how I'm going and it'll be interesting to see what form I've got after doing a bit more track work.
Obviously I want to qualify for the sprint. That's the main thing. And just ride really well in the keirins and the match sprints. Get out there, get seen and get some really good experience and hopefully my legs will be feeling pretty good.
You've got a bit of an advantage over some of the competitors, haven't you? You rode the track at the Under 23 and Junior European Track Champs in September. A bronze in the Sprint and Gold in the 500m Time Trial...
I really like it. It's a really nice track. The times were fast at the Europeans.
And you've got your A level exams this summer?
Yes. I've got my last exam on June 15th and then I'll be a full time bike rider. I'll be moving to Manchester as part of the Olympic Academy programme.
Varnish is a remarkably level headed young woman and a great example of what British Cycling is trying to achieve with its multi-tiered development programme. Having grown up in the club racing scene at Halesowen – her father, Jim, is a former World Cycle Speedway champion – she was selected for the Olympic Talent Team – the first rung on the ladder for 14-16 year olds, then the Olympic Development programme (16-18) and now the Olympic Academy.