Track World Championships - Day 4

Anna Meares finally broke her duck, in the women’s individual sprint, and dethroned Victoria Pendleton in Apeldoorn.

Women’s Individual Pursuit

Meares has been the bridesmaid, in this event, on several occasions, despite winning six other rainbow jerseys. The Aussie met Pendleton in the semi-final, who forced it to a decider, after capitalising on Meares’ hesitancy, in the second heat. After dispatching the five-time World and Olympic Champion, she went on to meet Simona Krupeckaite, in the final. The Lithuanian was a much easier target and she was beaten in only two races. Her success, in this event, has had to come at a price; the Aussie gave up the 500m sprint, to allow her to focus the pursuit. Pendleton went on to claim the bronze, in emphatic style, after toppling Olga Panarina, in two heats.

Men’s Kerin

Australia added yet another gold to the cabinet, as Shane Perkins upset the form book, by beating Chris Hoy. Jason Kenny was the first to go off the front, after the derny pulled away, but he was soon reeled in. As Hoy and Perkins moved forwards, it became three abreast and Kenny was the loser in that one. The Brit got squeezed out, allowing Perkins to take the sprinters line, forcing Hoy to try and go over the top. It was too much for the elder Brit and he was piped to the line by the Aussie; Holland’s Teun Mulder got the country’s first medal, as he slipped through the middle of the group.

Men’s Omnium

Michael Freiberg continued Australia’s brilliant day as he moved up the rankings, in the final three events. The opening event, of the day, was the individual pursuit, which Alexey Markov won by almost a second, to Shane Archbold. Freiberg had started third, at the start of the day, and made his impact on the omnium, in the scratch race. The Aussie lapped the field with Eloy Teruel and Gijs Van Hoecke, with Freiberg taking it on the line. Second place in the standings Archbold, took the final time-trial, but Freiberg’s sixth place, was enough to win by four points.

Women’s Scratch Race

Marianne Vos added the scratch race rainbow jersey to her cyclo-cross title, from earlier this year. The multi-talented rider caused the home crowed to go crazy, as she won the Netherlands’ first gold of the championship. Vos was part of a five-rider breakaway, but she left them fighting for the minor positions as the blasted away, with a quarter of a lap to go. This is now Vos’ seventh world title after four cyclo-cross championships and one on the road. Slotting in behind her was two of her breakaway companions, Kate Bates and Dani King.

Women’s Omnium

After Freiberg was crowned the men’s omnium champion, it was time for the women to demonstrate their ability, in the new Olympic event. First out of the gate was Spain’s Leire Olaberria Dorronsoro, who took the 200m Flying lap, by two tenths of a second. Newly crowned points champion, Tatsiana Sharakova showed it was no fluke, as she beat Australia’s Amy Cure by four points in the omnium points race. Evgenya Romanyuta, of Russia, became the third different winner in three events, as she stayed out of trouble in the elimination race. To the delight of the home crowd, and despite not winning an event so far, Dutch rider Kirsten Wild goes in to the second date leading the event.