Thompson-Herah tops Commonwealth women’s 100 heats
BIRMINGHAM, England, Aug 2, (AP): Safety concerns forced cycling officials to make a significant adjustment to the Australian team’s racing bikes at the Commonwealth Games.
Almost a year after Australian cyclist Alex Porter sustained serious facial injuries at the Tokyo Olympics when his handlebars failed during a race, a review found the equipment unsafe.
It attributed part of the blame to governance issues, finding the custommade pursuit handlebars designed to maximize performance were not adequately tested.
An announcement Monday from AusCycling said that after “extensive testing and an exhaustive investigation of alternatives,” adjustments were required immediately.
That meant, on the last day of racing on the Commonwealth Games track, Australian cyclists in the men’s 1,000-meter time trial did so using drop bars instead of pursuit bars.
AusCycling chief executive Jesse Korf conceded the equipment change would result in slower times, with the drop bars forcing riders to adopt a less aerodynamic position, but safety was the top priority.
“We have made significant changes to procedures, team structure and process since the Tokyo Olympics and this decision is reflective of a new and thorough approach to long-term engineering excellence, competitive success and athlete welfare.”
COMMONWEALTH GAMES
The adjustments did not stop Australia’s men from dominating the event, with Matthew Glaetzer beating compatriot Tom Cornish by more than half a second.
In winning the event for the third time, Glaetzer equaled Australian track cycling star Anna Meares’ record of five Commonwealth Games gold medals.
The safety of riders and spectators has been a key issue to emerge from the meeting at the Lee Valley velodrome in London after two major crashes saw riders hospitalized on the weekend.
Cycling great Chris Hoy called for perspex barriers to be introduced at velodromes after Olympic champion Matt Walls was catapulted into the crowd with his bike on Sunday. The accident caused a session to be abandoned and spectators ushered out as Walls was treated for almost 40 minutes.
He and two other riders were later released from the hospital. Some spectators also required medical attention after being struck by the English rider.
Australia and New Zealand finished
the track cycling with a leading eight golds and 13 medals each, but the biggest cheer was reserved naturally for Laura Kenny, who won England’s only gold medal in the women’s scratch race almost a decade after her breakthrough at the London Olympics in the same arena.
The five-time Olympic gold medalist highlighted the example of England swimmer Adam Peaty, who confirmed he is struggling for motivation, adding she experienced a crisis of confidence after seeing Walls’ crash. But Kenny gathered herself overnight.
In field hockey, India’s men’s team let slip a three-goal lead against England to draw 4-4 in a Pool B game and Australia trounced New Zealand 7-2 in Pool A.
After four days of competition, Australia led the medal standings with 31 gold medals and 71 overall, 17 more than second-place England. New Zealand was third with 24 medals, including
13 gold, followed by Canada with six gold and 33 overall medals and South Africa with five golds. India was in sixth spot with three gold, three silver and three bronze.
India beat Singapore 3-0 in the mixed team badminton semifinals to set up a gold-medal match against Malaysia, which advanced 3-0 over England.
Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah confirmed she was the sprinter to beat in the Commonwealth Games with a strong 100-meter heat run .
A recent world championships bronze medalist in Oregon, the Jamaican progressed to the semifinals in 10.99 seconds when winning the second of seven heats.
The double Olympic gold medalist in the event finished behind ShellyAnn Fraser-Pryce and Shericka Jackson in a Jamaican sweep of the 100 in the United States.