Shanks Wins Gold At World Track Cycling Championships

New Zealand cyclist Alison Shanks has won the gold medal in the individual pursuit on the opening night of finals at the UCI World Track Cycling Championships in Poland.

Shanks qualified second for the final with a 3:31.063, marginally outside her best time on a cold track at Pruszkow.

After trailling Beijing Olympic silver medallist Wendy Houvenaghel over the first two kilometres, Shanks wore her down to win by more than two seconds in 3:32.

It is only the 11th medal won by a New Zealand cyclist at the UCI World Track Championships dating back nearly 40 years, and the third in the women’s pursuit following the gold by Sarah Ulmer at
Melbourne in 2004 and the silver by Madonna Harris at Maebashi in 1990.