WA Produce Medal Blitz to Finish Track Nationals

WAIS cycling athletes have finished the national track championships in Adelaide with a blaze of glory with the women’s team pursuit gold highlighting the WA medal charge.

Having won the previous two national titles, the all-WAIS team of Josie Tomic, Sarah Kent and Mel Hoskins proved far too good for a third straight year after they clocked 3:36.857mins overhaul the Tasmanian group of Belinda Goss, Amy Cure and Emma Lawson.

The WA girls fell just shy of breaking their own national record, but were not helped in their quest after detouring around the Tasmanian team.

“We all came in with pretty good form, and we were looking to go 3.25, but it didn’t happen because it got a bit messy passing the Tasmanians,” said Kent who, with Tomic and New South Wales’ Ashlee Ankudinoff, went within one second of the team pursuit World Record at last month’s Beijing round of the World Cup Series.

After claiming bronze in the women’s individual pursuit and silver in the points race, Tomic was pleased to break through for her first gold medal of the Championships.

“I have had a bit of an up and down Championships so far and I was a bit disappointed in my pursuit,” said Tomic, “But I refocused and to come out today and get up on to the top of the podium, I am very happy and hoping to continue the form in my next two events.”

In an impressive open effort, the WAIS U19 trio of Jessica Allen, Isabella King and Michaela Anderson were edged for bronze by Victoria. The result did however, set a new U19 All Comers and Australian Championship record for the girls in a positive sign towards the future.

WAIS sprint cyclist Scott Sunderland broke through for a gold medal in the final of the men’s keirin after he stole a march on his competitors and utilised his kilometre time trial prowess to serge to line honours. Dan Ellis and Andrew Taylor collected the minor medals.

Sunderland commented after the race that he saw his opportunity and threw everything at it.

“I’m very happy with that,” said Sunderland. “When I saw Nibbo (Jason Niblett) coming around I jumped onto his wheel and then a lap and half from home I thought ‘I’d better go now’.

“I put my head down and came around him leading into the bell and the rest is history,” said Sunderland who avoided some jostling amongst the others in the field. ” I don’t know what happened behind me I was out in front and in the clear.

“I have a good kilo on me so I can go from a long way out,” he explained. “With that quality field it was risky going that far out in case someone came over me but luckily I had the legs at the end of the day and came home strong.”

WAIS junior world champion Luke Durbridge picked up a second silver medal and was thwarted only by South Australian track star Jack Bobridge in the 40km points race.

With reigning World Champion and WAIS scholarship holder Cam Meyer opting not to compete, Durbridge and WAIS training partner Michael Freiberg were left to fly the WA flag, which the pair did with distinction, partnering well to ride an aggressive strategy.

Ultimately it would be Bobridge’s day, with the Beijing Olympian taking the honours with a haul of 41 points ahead of Durbridge with 35 points and Queenslander Mitchell Mulhern with 20 points. Freiberg finished just further back in fourth.

Bobridge paid tribute to the WA pair post match and claimed Durbridge could have taken it had the sprints not gone his way.

“I knew it was going to be hard from the start today and I went into the race with only one team mate, Matt Benson, and he rode his heart out for me tonight,” said Bobridge. “It was always going to be hard riding against the other states, particularly with (Michael) Freiberg and Durbridge out there.”

“I knew it would be hard to roll them and it could have gone either way with me and Luke tonight, but I managed to get a few more sprint points than him along the way, but he really stuck it out to the end of the bike race.”

Omnium World Champion Josie Tomic competed in the coveted rainbow jersey for the first time, but was pipped for gold in Adelaide, settling for silver after NSW athlete Ashley Ankudinoff accumulated just 11 points.

Tomic was next best on 14 points whilst in a good result for WAIS, Sarah Kent rounded out the medals with 19 points.

Ankudinoff was delighted to gain victory over the reigning world champion and was happy to keep to her winning plan.

“I went into the points race knowing I had to finish no more than four places behind Josie to secure it and my plan was just to stick with her,” said Ankudinoff who was the silver medallist in 2009. “She went in an early break and I had to close it but doing the 2min22 in the pursuit set me up with a buffer which was good.

“Josie’s been in really good form and last year it was a real battle between us and we were really close so to come away with the win and beat a World Champion this year is really good.”

Michael Freiberg added his name to the silver medal list after he produced a high quality ride in the men’s 15km scratch race. Freiberg finished behind good news story Scott Law who only 134 months ago suffered a shattered knee after being involved in a nasty collision with a motor vehicle.

WAIS also ended a thoroughly successful U19 campaign with Holly Williams adding the 500m time trial and women’s keirin title’s to her sprint crown.

Bella King also made a name for herself, dominating the U19 omnium by winning four of the five events. King then backed up to take victory in the U19 scratch race ahead of reigning Junior World Champion Amy Cure of Tasmania. Training partner Michaela Anderson secured the bronze medal and a first and third for WAIS.

“I am really stoked, I have been working really hard in training and I had some really top class competitors in the race like Amy so I am really happy to come through with this win.

“It is really great having people like Josie (Tomic) and Sarah (Kent) to train with and learn from, so hopefully next year, I can try and match it with them in the seniors.”

WAIS pair Luke Zaccaria and Johnathan Bathe earned bronze in the final of the U19 men’s team sprint after initially being defeated by the NSW group. Officials deemed the NSW team had made a change over that was not in accordance with regulations.