The experienced Tom Sexton earned New Zealand’s first medal of the 2026 UCI World Track Cycling Championships in Shanghai, China today.
Sexton took out the silver medal in the men’s 10km Scratch race, the second time he has podiumed in this event at the world championships. He joins Greg Henderson as the only two-time kiwi medallists in this challenging event at the world championships.
The 27-year-old Southlander positioned himself well in the lively bunch, timing his final sprint in the melee to finish second behind Great Britain rider Mathew Bostock, who had pushed clear.
“This event is always pretty exciting – a bit like a drawn-out keirin for endurance riders,” said Sexton. “I put myself in the race and gave it a good nudge in the end. Unfortunately, my former pro teammate Mathew Bostock was off the front so I pushed on for the medal which was pretty incredible.”
Sexton, usually part of the team pursuit campaign, has been selected for key individual events in Shanghai, which has produced an immediate dividend.
“It is a different programme for me at these world champs with the scratch and elimination races, so I put a lot of pressure on my shoulders today and it was cool to get out and test myself.”
The New Zealand team pursuit combinations picked up invaluable qualifying points towards the Los Angeles Olympic Games, despite finishing a fraction from a tilt at the podium.
The women’s combination of Samantha Donnelly, Bryony Botha, Prue Fowler and Emily Shearman finished fifth overall from the 17 nations, edged by just 0.5s in their first-round ride against Germany to decide the medal contenders.
The men’s team pursuit of George Jackson, Keegan Hornblow, Marshall Erwood and Daniel Morton placed sixth from 18 nations, after finishing less than a second from a medal ride.
The women’s trio finished sixth overall in the women’s team sprint against 18 nations to secure solid Olympic qualifying points by their rejigged combination.
Today Ellesse Andrews led the way in the individual sprint before being edged out by team sprint winner Emma Finucane (GBR) by 0.1s in the second round, while Fowler was 13th in the women’s scratch race.
The competition on day three includes the women’s omnium, men’s individual pursuit, points race and time trial.
Sexton on the podium in Shanghai (Credit: SWpix)