Cycling has been on the Olympic programme since the birth of the modern Olympic movement, and the 1896 Summer Olympic Games included a road race and five track events, all for male athletes only. Women’s cycling first featured on the Olympic programme in 1984 with the road race, and in 1988 they were included in the track cycling programme.

Up until Rio 2016 the programme centred around speed and power, so the inclusion on the 2020 programme of freestyle BMX places an additional focus on skill.

Ireland has a rich history of competing in cycling events in the Olympics with the highest results being in the men’s road race, where Ciaran Power finished 13th in Athens 2004, and Dan Martin also finished 13th in Rio 2016.

Olympic qualification varies by discipline:
Road Race and Time Trial: Based on international ranking points
Track Cycling: Based on qualification points earned at key events
Mountain Biking: Based on international ranking points
BMX: Based on a combination of international ranking points and allocation spots at the World Championships