WAIS Cyclists Dominate at the National Track Champs

Tomic, Kent and Hoskins ride WA to victory (CyclingAustralia)

Western Australian Institute of Sport cyclists completed a mesmeric campaign at the National Track Championships in Adelaide over the weekend with a host of medals in both men’s and women’s events marking the 2009 Championships as one of WA’s finest ever.

The West Australian team of Sarah Kent, Josie Tomic and Melissa Hoskins sent records tumbling in 40 degree heat in the final of the women’s 3km team pursuit breaking the Australian, Australian Championship and All-Comers records in defeating the Victorian team.

The trio clocked a time of 3:26.853min swamping their Victorian opponents (Helen Kelly, Chloe McConville and Nocile Whitburn) with a stunning display of speed and precision. West Australia overtook Victoria a kilometre from home and continued on in a bid to set the record.

The time they rode was 4.4sec off the World Record time that Great Britain set at last year’s World Championships in Manchester. Had WA raced as a nation there they impressively would have ranked second in the world.

Josie Tomic – Who was one of the stars of the meet – paid tribute to WA’s strong spirit, believing their friendship helped in setting the new national records.

“That is really good especially for a state team, a new Australian record and four seconds faster than we have ever gone at the World Cups or Oceania, so it shows some really good signs for the Worlds (Championships),” said Tomic. “We do a lot of teams pursuit training back home and the three of us are really good friends and we know how each other rides and I guess we just work so well together.”

“Absolutely stoked, that teams pursuit is probably one of my biggest highlights ever,” said Kent. “It was absolutely amazing to do that with Mel (Hoskins) and Josie (Tomic) out there today.

“We definitely wanted to break the Australian record, but realistically our goal was a 3.28, even then I thought that would be great, so when we crossed the line we were all amazed.”

The win was also made possible by the efforts of 16 year-old Michaela Anderson who helped the WA team post a strong time in qualifying.

Hot on the back of the girls’ fantastic performance in the team pursuit, Michael Freiberg produced one the best rides of his young career in claiming bronze in the final of the men’s elite points race.

Freiberg rode a brilliant race strategy and twice lapped the field en route to his total of 48 points, which was bettered only by 2008 UCI world cup winner Glenn O’Shea (56) of Victoria and South Australian wonderkid Jack Bobridge (52).

Melissa Hoskins completed a busy night of action on day four of competition by competing in the women’s U19 scratch race, finishing third for bronze behind Annette Edmondson (SA) and Megan Dunn (NSW) who finished first and second respectively.

Scott Sunderland kick started the weekend action in style by winning silver in the men’s keirin final. Sunderland launched a late attack on Shane Perkins with 100m to go but couldn’t quite find a way past the Victorian who claimed his third gold of the meet.

“I am happy with my ride, I just couldn’t get Perko on the line, but everything went well for me,” said Sunderland who has not ridden a keirin at all this summer. “I was sort of a little nervous but luckily enough I found my way out of it (boxed in with a lap to go) and I had a run at Perko in the last 100 metres, but unfortunately couldn’t get there.

WAIS cyclist Jonathon Bathe claimed a bronze medal as part of Western Australia’s contingent in the U19 men’s Team Sprint Final. WA was awarded the medal after South Australia was disqualified leaving Victoria (gold) and NSW (silver) to fight out the major positions.

Hoskins wins the keirin (CyclingAustralia)

Melissa Hoskins added a second gold medal to her collection in the final of the U19 women’ keirin event. Hoskins raced against South Australian Annette Edmondson and posted a fantastic time of 12.550sec which ended Edmondson’s run of wins that has included four gold at the recent AYOF and victories in the team sprint and the U19 scratch race.

“Last night put me on a real high and I was excited to be part of a new record and tonight was just about coming out and doing my best,” said Hoskins. “My preference in events is the omnium as I can ride long distances, but enjoy sprinting as it is a bit of a release.

“Netti (Edmondson) is so strong compared to me, so I laid off and took a run at her and I just got her on the line.”

Sunderland with his bronze medal (CyclingAustralia)

Scott Sunderland managed to pick up a second National Track Championship medal in the men’s kilo, but couldn’t exact revenge on Victoria’s Shane Perkins, who claimed a fourth gold medal.

“I came into the week really wanting to have a good run through the sprint and hopefully do a good time there,” said Perkins. “I don’t really train for the kilo, I trained for the sprint, but I guess training these days enables you to ride the kilo, so why not have a crack.

“I wasn’t expecting that (time), was hoping to go better than the Victorian titles 1:2 dead, so I am very, very pleased to come off with that time.”

Perkins’ teammate and defending champion Joel Leonard took the silver medal (1min03.020sec), with Sunderland (1min03.137sec) in third.

Holly Williams produced a good ride to take silver in the women’s U19 individual time trial, but no one could stop South Australia’s young gun Annette Edmondson who claimed a third gold for the meet.

Josie Tomic completed her National Track campaign with a third gold medal in the women’s omnium.

The omnium is the ‘ironman’ of track cycling events with competitors contesting five events in one day of racing. Points are awarded for their placing in each of the events with the rider amassing the lowest tally claiming the win.

Tomic, who earlier in the Championships won the individual pursuit and was a member of the victorious West Australian trio that set an Australian record in the team pursuit, today won the individual pursuit and scratch rounds, was second in the flying 200m, third in the 500m time trial and fourth in the points race to finish with an aggregate of eleven points.

“I am really excited, I came in here hoping to win the pursuit and team pursuit, so to come away with this is a bonus,” said Tomic. “I scratched myself from the scratch race last night so I could get to bed early and prepare for this, it was just a bit of a fun event but I wanted to put my hand up as I would like to ride this at the World Championships.”

Only three points behind Tomic was Sydney’s Ashlee Ankudinoff who finished on 14 points after three second placing’s and two fourths. Tasmania’s Laura McCaughey claimed the bronze medal on 25 points.

Melissa Hoskins rounded out a successful meet for herself and WAIS by claiming silver in the women’s U19 omnium. She amassed 15 points to finish second behind NSW’s Megan Dunn.