LAUNCESTON cyclist James Robinson picked up a gold medal as part of the Australian quartet that won the under-19 team pursuit at the Oceania Cycling Championships in Adelaide on Friday night.
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In the gold medal ride-off, New Zealand’s Max Jones, Lachlan McGregor, Tom Sexton and Campbell Stewart started strongly, gaining an early advantage.
The early pace was too high, however, and they faded towards the end as Australia’s Thomas McDonald, Robinson, James Tickner and Rohan Wight picked up to finish in 4 minutes, 13.486secs, almost five seconds ahead of New Zealand (4:18.139).
South Australia’s Matthew Glaetzer capped a whitewash of Australian gold with a dominant performance in the men’s sprint.
In the afternoon flying 200-metre qualifying, Glaetzer posted the fastest time ever on Australian soil with a blistering 9.838.
Queenslander Peter Lewis was second-fastest in 10.029, ahead of New Zealand’s Edward Dawkins (10.049).
Glaetzer and Dawkins set up their cross-Tasman duel after Glaetzer defeated Jacob Schmid (Vic) in their semi-final, while Commonwealth Games sprint bronze medallist Dawkins battled perennial performer and Olympic bronze medallist Shane Perkins (Vic).
In the final, Glaetzer swept Dawkins in two straight tactical races.
First seed Derek Radzikiewicz (SA) beat Canberran Elliot Stacey in two heats to progress into the final round of the under 19-men’s sprint, where he was too quick for Victorian Connor Rowley.
After setting an allcomers record (11.677) in qualifying, Tahlay Christie (WA) and Courtney Field (Vic) set up a superb under-19 women’s sprint final after overpowering Brit Jackson (Vic) and Emma Cumming (NZ).
In a battle of the newly crowned ‘‘fastest rider on Australian soil’’, Christie versus the reigning junior world champion Field, the rainbow stripes were too good as Field got the better of Christie to take gold.
After winning the individual pursuit on Thursday night, it was no surprise when Annette Edmondson (SA) took out the second event in the elite women’s omnium in a time of 3:35.281, ahead of Canberran Rebecca Wiasak (3:36.406).
In the elimination, Edmondson extended her lead by winning her third event in a row.
In the third event of the under 19 women’s omnium, Michaela Drummond (NZ) won the elimination to move into first spot on 112 points, two points ahead of South Australian Chloe Moran, with Nichola Macdonald (NSW) a further two points back in third place.
In the flying lap for the elite men’s omnium, Nicholas Yallouris was the quickest, ahead of fellow New South Welshman Scott Law in 13.117 seconds. Yallouris moved into fourth position leading into the final event, only two points away from second-placed Jackson Law.
In the points race finale, Scott Law successfully protected his lead to run away with the gold medal on 225 points, ahead of his brother Jackson Law (205pts) and New Zealand’s Aaron Gate (196pts).
