Bonser Clean Sweeps Sprint Events at Oceania Champs
WA’s emerging cycling talent has provided a glimpse of its future potential with a successful campaign at the Oceania Championships in Melbourne, headlined by a sprint clean-sweep from Kye Bonser.
The 17 year-old was in fine form across the championships, claiming victory in the U19 individual and team sprint, as well as winning titles in the kilo and keirin.
Bonser opened his campaign with victory in an Australian team sprint trio that defeated their Kiwi rivals on the opening day of competition.
He won the junior men’s sprint with victory over James Brister before topping the podium in his favoured 1km time trial and keirin events.
The Alexander Heights resident said he had surprised even himself with his excellent form so early in the track season.
“Honestly, I didn’t expect to go this well, I’m speechless. My favourite event to win was the kilo and probably the keirin tonight. They were my two favourites,” he said at the close of his race program.
“It’s pretty special, a lot of hard work went in with me and my coach Clay [Worthington], and we just set goals early on this year as stepping stones to benchmark myself against everyone here and to build from the Oceanias to Nationals.”
Nominated for the 2016 Western Australian Junior Sports Star of the Year Award, Jade Haines provided evidence as to why, with a five medal campaign at the Oceania Championships, highlighted with gold medals in the junior scratch race and omnium events.
With medals across both sprint and endurance disciplines, Haines’ future appears particularly bright in Australian track cycling.
Another talent headed home with valuable experience and gold around his neck is U19 endurance rider Tyler Lindorff. Lindorff snared victories as part of an Australian men’s team pursuit squad and in the subsequent individual pursuit.
He showed tactic nous to match his engine, by also placing third in the points race and fourth in the scratch race.
After dominating the early senior events, Sam Welsford narrowly missed defending his omnium title claiming bronze in a testing men’s event.
After starting with fifth in the opening scratch race Welsford took second in the tempo and eighth in the elimination to sit in the bronze medal position and just 18 from leader and former world champion Aaron Gate (NZL).
Knowing he needed to be aggressive Welsford was continually on the attack but Gate’s experience and speed proved too strong for the young West Australian.
The Championships represented a highly successful campaign for the WAIS program, led by head coach Clay Worthington and senior coach Andrew Jackson.
Further results from the Oceania titles – which include more impressive performances from WA athletes – can be viewed here: http://timedresult.com/oceania-track-championships
Photo: Con Chronis