UCI Juniors Track Cycling World Championships
New Zealand added two further medals to its UCI Junior Track World Championships tally tonight, but a world champion’s rainbow jersey still eludes the team with just one day remaining in Invercargill.
It brings New Zealand’s tally to nine medals with one day remaining, one short of their record 10 medals achieved last year.
Waimate’s Dylan Kennett earned his third silver medal of the week in the 3000m individual pursuit after losing out to Tom Bohli from Switzerland in the gold medal ride off.
“I’m pretty happy with second in the world for individual pursuit. For me, it’s the main event with it being simply the fastest man over 12 laps. I was just beaten by a better man on the day,” he said.
Earlier today, Kennett smashed the New Zealand junior men’s record in qualifying, posting a time of 3:16:467. The previous record was held by Te Awamutu’s Hayden McCormick who also competed in the individual pursuit at Stadium Southland Velodrome, finishing in sixth place.
“Gold’s have been my aim so getting these silver’s had been getting me hungrier and hungrier and my mate Hayden McCormick and I will be giving it everything for that gold in the Madison tomorrow night,” said the 17-year-old, Kennett.
Auckland’s Racquel Sheath secured her second medal of the championships with a bronze in the women’s six-leg omnium.
“I’m pretty stoked. It’s really rewarding to think that I’m now the third best in the world,” she said.
Consistency was the key for the 17-year-old as she finished within the top six placings in every omnium event, to earn a spot on the podium.
“You have to be really consistent and it’s so hard to get every race right. My timed events aren’t exactly my strong point but I tried my best and managed personal bests in every one except the flying lap.”
The seemingly unbeatable Australian, Taylah Jennings dominated all six omnium disciplines to claim the gold medal for the second consecutive year. The 18-year-old Queenslander has now won 12 from 12 events in the women’s omnium over the past two UCI Junior World Track Championships to establish herself as a true cycling superstar.
After leading the men’s 100 lap points race at the halfway mark, Southland’s Liam Aitcheson faded to a gutsy finish of equal fourth. Hong-Kong cyclist Chun Wing Leung took charge of the exciting race when he lapped the field twice, gaining his second lap to seal the title late in the race.
It was the Russians who rolled through to grab the top two spots on the podium in the women’s keirin after an erratic move by Jennifer Valente (USA) halted kiwi Paige Paterson’s progress in the sprint finish. Valente was awarded the bronze medal with Southland’s Kate Dunlevey in fourth and Paterson in fifth.
The championships conclude tomorrow.
Day 4 results:
Women’s Omnium: Flying lap: Taylah Jennings (AUS) 14.302, 1; Valentina Paniagua Areiza (COL) 15.058, 2; Elinor Barker (GBR) 15.165, 3. Points Race: Jennings 15 points, 1; Racquel Sheath (NZL) 6, 2; Guin Badykova (RUS) 6, 3. Elimination: Jennings 1, Barker 2, Badykova 3. Individual Pursuit: Jennings 2:25.270, 1; Barker 2:26.370, 2; Sheath 2:28.579, 3. Scratch Race: Jennings 1, Sheath 2, Barker. 500m Time Trial: Jennings 35.447, 1; Barker 37.007, 2; Valentina Paniagua Areiza (COL) 37.162, 3. Final Standings: Jennings 6 points, 1; Barker 16, 2; Sheath 22, 3.
Women’s Keirin qualifying, Heat 1: Jennifer Valente (USA) 1, Allee Proud (AUS) 2, Kate Dunlevey (NZL) 3. Heat 2: Daria Shmeleva (RUS) 1, Martha Bayona Pineda (COL) 2, Aline Tamez Vela (MEX) 3. Heat 3: Caitlin Ward (AUS) 1, Paige Paterson (NZL) 2, Lidia Pluzhnikova (RUS) 3. Repechage, Heat 1: Lidia Pluzhnikova (RUS) 1, Kate Dunlevey (NZL) 2, Ummi Mohamad (MAS) 3. Heat 2: Elis Ligtlee (NED) 1, Shana Dalving (BEL) 2, Chloe Chepigin (USA) 3. Second round, Heat 1: Dunlevey 1, Ward 2, Valente 3. Heat 2: Schmeleva 1, Pluzhnikova 2, Paterson 3. Seventh-12th: Proud 5, Pineda 6, Dalving 7. Final: Schmeleva 1, Pluzhnikova 2, Jennings 3.
Men’s 3000m individual pursuit qualifying: Tom Bohli (SUI) 3:16.139, 1; Dylan Kennett (NZL) 3:16.467, 2; Alexander Morgan (AUS) 3:16.718, 3; Jon Dibben (GBR) 3:18.312, 4. Bronze medal ride: Morgan 3:18.292, 3; Dibben 3:20.926, 4. Gold medal ride: Bohli 3:16.261, 1; Kennett 3:18.095, 2.
Men’s Points Race, 25km: Chun Wing Leung (HKG) 50 points, 1; Aydar Zakarin (RUS) 37, 2; Cristian Cornejo Aliste (CHI) 35, 3.
Men’s Sprint, semifinal 1: Jacob Schmid (AUS) bt Zachary Shaw (AUS) 2-0; Semifinal 2: Emerson Harwood (AUS) bt Santiago Ramirez Morales (COL) 2-0. Bronze medal ride: Shaw bt Ramirez Morales 2-0. Gold medal ride: Schmid bt Harwood 2-1.
CAPTION: Dylan Kennett (Waimate) in action during the men’s individual pursuit final.
The image is free for editorial use only. Mandatory credit: James Jubb.
Full details: www.juniorworlds2012.com