Sudirman Cup key to Games success
Van Gisbergen has Holdens roaring
emma.greenwood@news.com.au SHANE van Gisbergen reignited a Supercars war yesterday when the Red Bull whiz won a Winton battle to end DJR Team Penske’s run.
Stopping the new V8 giant from making it four race wins in a row, van Gisbergen pounced in a frenetic final 14lap sprint to put the Red Bull Holden Racing Team stone and it’s great to have world-class players out here as well,” Bundgaard said.
“We probably sit between No.3 and No.5 (in the Commonwealth), with Malaysia as the best country.
“Below that we’ve got India and England and Singapore and those countries we are getting close to.
“Australian badminton has improved quite a lot the last three or four years, so we are sitting in a good place to maybe steal a team medal.”
That campaign is likely to be built on the back of the performance of the women’s doubles team of Gronya Somerville and Setyana Mapasa, who won the country’s first grand prix title at the Canadian Open last year.
“Our women’s doubles would be second-highest in the Commonwealth with only Malaysia in front of us,” Bundgaard said.
“The girls are in the (world) top 20 now and we have players that are coming up and young ones as well, so that’s positive for badminton in Australia.”
Somerville is also likely to team with Matthew Chau in the mixed doubles, with the Melbourne product set to become a familiar figure on the Gold Coast courts this week ahead of next year’s Games.
“You’ve got the local hero in (Brisbane’s) Wendy Chen as well,” Bundgaard said.
“It’s just great to be up here to look at these great facilities – and they are great facilities – so we’re very pleased.” (RBHRT) back on top. In a contender for the season’s best race, van Gisbergen charged past Jamie Whincup to deny his teammate a win after a late safety car pitched the Red Bulls into a three-way fight with Ford’s Fabian Coulthard.
But there was no stopping van Gisbergen as the Kiwi king charged home to restore Holden pride.
“We have worked pretty hard for this,’’ Van Gisbergen said after the win.
“It has taken a long time with the others guys being so quick but a one-two for the team is a great response.
Whincup held on to secure a Red Bull one-two.
“It has been tough,’’ Van Gisbergen said.
“But we are now on our way back and feeling really good. We put on a good show and now we will push on. Fabian was quick again and but we got the one-two so I am stoked for all the guys.’
Whincup made it a day of double celebration for RBHRT with the team rising to the challenge set by DJR Team Penske on Saturday when Scott McLaughlin won to make it three in a row.
“I am obviously wrapped for the team,’’ Whincup said.