Kent and Tomic Reign Supreme in Denmark
The gold rush continued for Australia on day two of competition with victories in the women’s team sprint and women’s teams pursuit at the UCI Track World Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Queensland’s Anna Meares collected her second gold in as many days when she teamed with Sydney’s Kaarle McCulloch to post a world record time of 32.923 in the team sprint. The team pursuit trio of Josephine Tomic (WAIS-AIS), Sarah Kent (WAIS-AIS) and Ashlee Ankudinoff then posted a personal best time of 3:21.748 for the 3km distance to defeat Great Britain by half a second and claim Australia’s second gold of the night.
South Australian Jack Bobridge added a bronze medal to the tally with his third place in the 4km individual pursuit.
For Tomic, 20, Kent 20, and Ankudinoff, 19, there were no hiccups in their progression to the top of the podium as they set the fastest time in qualifying to set up a gold medal showdown with Great Britain.
New Zealand’s trio was disappointed to have missed out on riding for gold especially when they set a World Record of 3:21.552 to win the bronze medal.
However in team pursuit your qualifying time determines what colour medal you will ride for and you need to be one of the fastest two teams in qualifying to make the gold medal final.
Australia lined up in the white speed suits of World Cup Series Champions having clinched that title at the final round in Beijing in January and had already guaranteed they would finish higher on the podium than in 2009 when they were third. Their opponents were the defending World Champions.
Australia was three tenths of a second faster at the end of the first kilometre and maintained their form and pace increasing the leading margin to 0.7 seconds at the end of two kilometres. The Brits clawed back some time in the final kilometre but not enough and the Australians stopped the clock in 3:21.748 to win by half a second.
“I’m really stoked,” said Tomic who lead the trio out of the gate. “We came here after winning in Beijing and that gave us a bit of confidence that we can match it with the best in the world.
“I don’t think we’ve ever ridden that smooth and that well. We came together as a team and to win is pretty amazing,” she said. “We’ve worked really really hard for this and it just shows that handwork really does pay off.”
“Today felt awesome on the rollers warming up and we’ve been living this dream for the last year and in each other’s pockets,” Kent explained. “I guess it all came together on the day.
“(We had a) great first six laps and the last six laps we rode from the heart and really came home with it.”
Ankudinoff says the morale in the team leading into the Championships was a key ingredient in their success.
“We’re like sisters we’ve been living with each other for four weeks so for it to work on the day it’s amazing,” Ankudinoff said. “All the hard work, all the hours we put in at the track it’s paid off. Awesome team effort!”
The Australian team remains on top of the medal table with four gold and one bronze medal and have already matched their gold medal total of the 2009 Championships.
Meares, 26, and McCulloch, 22, were thrilled with both their win and the fact they cracked the 33 second barrier.
“That’s something that we’ve actually thrown up in the air between the two of us for a little while, somewhat jokingly that we’d ride in a 32,” said Meares who clocked 18.746 for the first lap before McCulloch steamed home in 14.177 for the second lap to seal the win. “14.1 last lap by Kaarle, that was special, and I think that was what got us the record tonight.”
But the duo’s progression to the gold medal final was anything but smooth after a mishap filled qualifying round. The Australian and Dutch teams lined up on opposite sides of the track but Dutch rider Yvonne Hijgenaar broke early forcing a restart.
“I think I timed it perfectly the first time around and the false start by the Dutchies threw me a little bit,” said Meares who crashed heavily on the restart. “I got a little over anxious and tried to jump it a bit too early and the (start gate) brake grabbed my (back) wheel and threw me off the bike. That really rattled me. I tried to set my wheel up again and I was shaking, I was nervous and tried to calm myself down and get through that one lap.”
However McCulloch says the mishaps had the opposite affect on her.
“I think it calmed my nerves,” said McCulloch. “I was a bit nervous when we first got up there but when I got the first pedal stroke underway I knew it was going to be pretty sweet. All credit to Anna to be able to get it together for the third time – she did really well.”
China settled for the silver medal and Lithuania defeated Great Britain to claim the bronze medal.
For Jack Bobridge the bronze medal was consolation for what he saw as a lost opportunity. The 20 year old posted the third fastest time in history with his qualifying ride of 4min14.427sec at the Australian Championships in February but here in Denmark he went out too fast, too early in his qualifying round and faded to third fastest losing his chance to contest the gold medal.
“My expectation, I always come to the worlds thinking to stand on top of the podium for first,” said Bobridge. “I’m not going to lie, definitely disappointed with my effort this morning – a bit carried away and a bit excited. I’ll learn from my mistakes and you never know after a few years on the road I might be able to start that fast and finish that fast as well.”
Bobridge’s second kilometre of the four kilometre qualifying ride was ridden in 1:01.483 which had him well up on the World Record pace of 4:11.114 set by England’s Chris Boardman at the 1996 World Championships in Manchester using an aerodynamic stretched out position that has since been banned.
“When you go out that quick and (the) second kilo I did it… I was travelling to beat Boardman by nearly two seconds at the 2k mark,” laughed Bobridge recognising his excitement got the better of him. “The day when I can finish at that pace will be the day I can get the world record until then (I’ll) go back to the basics and control my first k and second k and see what I can get out of it.”
American Taylor Phinney successfully defended his World Championship title riding a time of 4:16.600 to defeat New Zealand’s Jesse Sergent (4:18.459) who claimed silver.
Bobridge rode 4:18.066 to finish more than three seconds faster than Russian Alexander Serov (4:21.263) and in a time faster than Sergent’s silver medal ride.
“But to stand on third, I still got a medal and I got on the podium and (I have my) head held high.”
His team mate Rohan Dennis, 19, posted a time of 4:19.292 in qualifying to finish in fifth place.
In other racing Victorians Shane Perkins and Jason Niblett finished 10th and 11th respectively after missing out on the medal final for the kern. In a hard fought competition Great Britain’s Sir Chris Hoy put on a dominant display of speed and strength to grab the win ahead of Malaysian Azizulhasni Awang with Germany’s Maximillian Levy third.
The men’s scratch race was won in emphatic style by home town favourite, Alex Rasmussen who went on the attack with Japan’s Kazuhiro Mori early in the 60 lap race to gain a lap on the field. Juan Esteban Arango of Colombia also gained a lap and managed to outspent Mori on the line to take the silver medal with the Japanese rider finishing third. Australia’s Travis Meyer (WAIS-AIS) placed 19th.
Day three of competition sees the quartet of Jack Bobridge, Leigh Howard, Rohan Dennis and Michael Hepburn line up in the qualifying for the men’s team pursuit. Scott Sunderland will contest the 1km time trial, Belinda Goss the scratch race and in the women’s sprint Australia will field Anna Meares, Kaarle McCulloch and Emily Rosemond.
– Cycling Australia