UCI PARA-CYCLING TRACK WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS, DAY 2 WRAP RIO DE JANEIRO
Seven medals in two days marks an outstanding start for the Cycling New Zealand’s at the UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships in Brazil today.
After three silver medals on the opening day, all four team members bagged medals on day two, with silver medals to Nicole Murray, Devon Briggs and the pursuit pairing of vision impaired Emma Foy and pilot Jesse Hodges along with a bronze medal to Siobhan Terry.
The best was saved for the final ride of the day in the 4000m individual pursuit with a stunning effort from the pairing of Foy and Hodges, who qualified under the previous world record to be second fastest to the British pairing of Sophie Urwin and Jenny Holl.
The kiwi pairing made a bold plan to take the race to the world record holders, over a second up at the 1000m mark and still a second ahead at halfway. The British pair began to close the gap, overhauling the kiwis with two laps remaining to win in a new world record time of 4:32.697.
The New Zealanders clocked 4:34.949, also under the previous world record, to claim the silver.
“We went out with a gear higher than we did in our qualifying, which is what we had to do if we wanted a shot at winning. For me it was hard but fun going toe-to-toe. Our coach was calling up or down so I knew exactly what was happening and it was such a close race,” said Foy.
It is an exceptional performance given the vision-impaired Foy only returned to cycling earlier this year after four years of “retirement”, linking with Olympian Hudges who retired after Tokyo.
“I am really proud of that – proud of Emma and myself,” said Hodges. “Six months ago we were not even riding a bike so to be here today is pretty special.
“We went out to attack the GB team as they qualified three seconds faster than us. We gave it a good crack. We blew up a little bit at the end but I am so proud of what we have done, where we have come from and looking forward to what we can achieve in the future.”
Earlier Waikato’s Nicole Murray, Devon Briggs and Rotorua’s Siobhan Terry all claimed medals on the renowned slick track at Rio de Janeiro.
Murray showed her tactical nous and a measure of good fortune to secure her second silver medal at the championships in the elimination race, introduced to the championships for the first time, where the last rider is eliminated every two laps.
The kiwi used the tactics of riding near the back but on the outside of the bunch, ensuring there was always a rider blocked on the inside throughout the early elimination phase.
Murray pushed the pace in the latter stages, moving to the front to dispose of Poland’s Anna Harkowska to leave a match-race against yesterday’s gold medallist in the time trial, Claudia Cretti.
The Italian showed her speed to edge ahead of the kiwi to win the gold medal, with Murray adding a second silver medal in as many days in another impressive performance in this new event for para-cyclists.
Briggs grabbed his second silver medal with a strong performance in the C3 1000m time trial.
The 21-year-old was the final rider but had to follow a stunning world record by Australian Korey Bonnington who took nearly three seconds off the previous record in 1:02.848.
Briggs produced a solid ride of 1:06.274, just outside his own national record set last year, but enough to capture his second silver medal.
Terry set a new national record in finishing 1:15.283 in the C4 1000m time trial, taking nearly three seconds off her previous best set in Brisbane earlier this year.
She produced a well-judged test against time building from a conservative start – fifth fastest after the opening lap - to be second fastest over the final two laps.
Terry finished behind winner Tara Neyland (AUS) and pipped for the silver medal with the final rider by GBR’s Kadeena Cox by just half a second.
Results:
Women C5 Elimination Final: Claudia Cretti (ITA) 1, Nicole Murray (NZL) 2, Anna Harkowska (POL) 3.
Women BVi 4000m Individual Pursuit, qualifying Great Britain 3:32.697, 1; New Zealand (Emma Foy/Jesse Hodges) 3:35.530, 2 (NZ Record); Great Britain 2 4:37.298, 3; Poland 4:52.396, 4.
Final: Gold medal: Great Britain 4:32.697, 1; New Zealand 4:34.949, 2. Bronze medal: Great Britain 2 bt Poland OVL
Women C4 1000m time trial final: Tara Neyland (AUS) 1:10.806, 1; Kadeena Cox (GBR) 1:13.962, 2; Siobhan Terry (NZL) 1:15.283, 3.
Men 1000m time trial: Korey Boddington (AUS) 1:02.848, 1 (World Record); Devon Briggs (NZL) 1:06.274, 2; Finlay Graham (GBR) 1:08.376, 3.
