Michelle Ferris

{{Short description|Australian cyclist (born 1976)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2016}}

{{Use Australian English|date=July 2016}}

{{Infobox cyclist

| name = Michelle Ferris

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| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1976|9|24|df=y}}

| birth_place = Warrnambool, Australia

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| discipline = Track

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{{MedalCountry|{{AUS}}}}

{{MedalSport | Women's track cycling}}

{{MedalCompetition|Olympic Games}}

{{MedalSilver| 1996 Atlanta | Sprint}}

{{MedalSilver| 2000 Sydney | Time trial}}

{{MedalCompetition|UCI Track World Championships}}

{{MedalSilver |1997 Perth|500 m time trial}}

{{MedalBronze |1995 Bogota|500 m time trial}}

{{MedalBronze |1996 Manchester|500 m time trial}}

{{MedalBronze |1998 Bordeaux|500 m time trial}}

{{MedalCompetition|Commonwealth Games}}

{{MedalSilver |1994 Victoria BC|Sprint}}

{{MedalSilver |1998 Kuala Lumpur|Sprint}}

}}

Michelle Ferris (24 September 1976) is an Australian cyclist. She won the Silver Medal in Women's sprint in 1996 Summer Olympics and the 2000 Summer Olympics.{{cite web|url=

http://www.cyclingarchives.com/coureurfiche.php?coureurid=28225|title=Michelle Ferris |publisher=cycling archives|date= |accessdate=19 August 2012}}{{cite web|url= https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/fe/michelle-ferris-1.html

|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200418000107/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/fe/michelle-ferris-1.html

|url-status= dead

|archive-date= 18 April 2020

|title=Michelle Ferris Profile|publisher=www.sports-reference.com|date= |accessdate=19 August 2012}}{{cite web|title=Ferris, Michelle (1976–) |url= http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G2-2588808021.html

|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160308193657/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G2-2588808021.html

|url-status= dead

|archive-date= 8 March 2016

|publisher=Dictionary of Women Worldwide: 25,000 Women Through the Ages |accessdate=20 August 2012|date=1 January 2007}}{{cite web|title=French cyclists win third gold medal|url= http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-19578068.html

|archive-url= https://archive.today/20130126054317/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-19578068.html

|url-status= dead

|archive-date= 26 January 2013

|publisher=AP Online |accessdate=20 August 2012|date=27 August 1998}}{{cite news|title=Summer Pursuit Ends for Witty; Winter Medalist Is Fifth in 500 Meters|url= http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-546825.html

|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140611052948/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-546825.html

|url-status= dead

|archive-date= 11 June 2014

|newspaper=The Washington Post |accessdate=20 August 2012|date= 17 September 2000}}

Her biggest rival was Félicia Ballanger, who beat her in the World Championships as well as in the Olympics. In the World Cup in 1997, she did beat her, making her one of only a few cyclists who were able to beat Ballanger in a big tournament.

In summer 2020, Ferris took on a role as Assistant Mentor Coach to the cycling squad at the Western Sydney Academy of Sport.{{Cite web|title=Ferris' Coaching Silver Lining|url=https://www.auscycling.org.au/nsw/news/ferris-coaching-silver-lining|access-date=2020-12-29|website=AusCycling|language=en-au}}

She is one of the few professional Australian athletes to come out publicly as gay, noting "Whenever I was interviewed after a race during my career, the journalists always asked me about my performance, no one ever asked if I was gay. If that question had been asked, I would have answered it honestly. I've never been afraid of who I am. But when you're talking about your race results, you're not going to add on at the end, 'By the way, I'm gay'."{{cite web|url=http://www.theage.com.au/national/playing-it-straight-20111022-1mdj3.html|title=Playing it straight|work=The Age|date=23 October 2011|accessdate=12 December 2014|first=Nicole|last=Brady}} She has served as an ambassador for the Gay Games and stated she "can't say why so many lesbian athletes stay silent. But she says that while it was no secret she was gay when she won her silver medals at the Atlanta and Sydney Olympics, she never spoke about it publicly at the time."