Cycling - Perkins swaps Australia for Russia in Tokyo 2020 bid

Australia's Shane Perkins celebrates after the track cycling men's sprint bronze finals at the Velodrome during the London 2012 Olympic Games August 6, 2012. REUTERS/Cathal McNaughton/Files

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Australian two-time world champion track cyclist Shane Perkins has switched allegiance to Russia in a bid to compete at the 2020 Tokyo Games.

The Melbourne-born 30-year-old won a sprint bronze at the 2012 Olympics in London but missed out on selection for last year's Games in Rio de Janeiro.

"The Russian Cycling Federation has given me another opportunity to chase my dreams of Olympic representation in Tokyo 2020 which has special significance to me as my father (Darryl Perkins) raced the Olympics in Tokyo 1964," he said in a post on his Facebook page on Wednesday.

"I've spoken to Cycling Australia's High Performance Program and staff and they have been supportive."

(Reporting by Ian Ransom; Editing by John O'Brien)