Two newcomers provided the medals for New Zealand to spark another excellent night for kiwi cyclists at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
Cambridge Para cyclist Devon Briggs won the gold medal in the men’s C3 1000m time trial in emphatic fashion, returning to the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome where he won four medals in the world championships in 2023.
Meanwhile fellow Cambridge-based rider Samantha Donnelly pushed through late in a sprint finish to grab third place in the women’s 10km scratch race. This was upgraded to the silver after a rider was relegated after she pushed down on the kiwi riders’ line in the sprint to the finish.
Donnelly now enjoys a remarkable family double, with her father Nigel winning a gold medal in the team pursuit at the 1990 Commonwealth Games in Auckland.
It moves the New Zealand cycling team to six medals after two days of competition in Glasgow.
Briggs, born with bilateral talipes, was in outstanding form in the C1-3 1000m time trial as the last rider chasing the new C2 world record mark by Australian Gordon Allan of a factored time of 1:07.361.
The 22-year-old kiwi produced an outstanding ride to win in 1:05.536 for a new Games record and only 0.3s outside his C1 world record set at the world championships in 2023.
“It was a really good ride, really good kilo and I followed a good process so I am super-happy with that result,” said Briggs.
“After this I am feeling confident about my individual pursuit. The legs felt really good out there today so I will ride the track, listen to the calls from coach and do the best that I can.”
Briggs will be back on the track for the individual pursuit on the final day of cycling competition.
The women’s 10km scratch race was a fast and tight affair, with UCI World Tour rider Ally Wollaston showing her speed when she pushed to the front with eight laps to go. With her sprinting prowess well known, the kiwi rider was run down with two laps to go, with Donnelly positioned strongly in a fast-moving bunch.
The Christchurch rider pushed hard on the inside lane on the final lap but could not quite match Australian Georga Baker who claimed the win. The kiwi rider was forced down on to the blue in the push to the line with the Scottish rider later relegated, promoting Donnelly to the silver medal in her first Commonwealth Games.
Earlier kiwi sprinters Ellesse Andrews, Olivia King and Rebecca Petch all qualified for the match racing in the individual sprint.
Both Petch and King went out in the first round of match racing while Andrews accounted for Australian champion Alessia McCaig. However, the Olympic champion found world record holder Emma Finucane (Wales) too strong, eliminated in two closely fought races in the best of three quarterfinal.
There was no fortune for Sam Dakin in the men’s keirin, finishing fifth in his opening heat and fourth in the repechage and did not make it through to the second round.
There was a close call in the men’s exciting elimination race, with Tom Sexton working hard at the front of the field, but after reaching the final four riders, he was eliminated in a tight sprint by a wheel to go so-close to a medal.
Another to miss out in a close medal ride was the experienced Bryony Botha who qualified fourth in the 4000m individual pursuit but was edged in the bronze medal ride by Scotland’s Erin Boothman.
Botha, who won the gold medal at the last Commonwealth Games, was only 0.2s behind at the 2000m midway point but could not match Boothman over the closing 2kms.
Southland’s Marshall Erwood was the best of the kiwi men in the 4000m individual pursuit finishing seventh with Daniel Morton 11th and Sexton 14th.
Tomorrow’s penultimate day of action on the track features Dakin in the men’s sprint qualifying, the men’s scratch race, women’s 25km points race, Emma Foy and Jesse Hodges return for the Tandem B 1000m time trial and the women’s 1000m time trial.
Devon Briggs on the top step in Glasgow (SWpix)