Kiwi teen on top of the world
Southland teenager Corbin Strong has created history at the world track cycling championships – two years after fracturing his spine in a nasty collision with a car.
The 19-year-old won the points race in Berlin yesterday when he went in a three-strong break in the final laps to claim a bonus 20 points and cement his rainbow jersey title.
It is the first time a male New Zealand rider has won a points race world championship.
The only other podium was when fellow Southlander Tom Scully won a silver medal at Cali in 2014.
‘‘You can’t afford to go to these races and be intimidated by the big names,’’ said Strong, who led for most of the 40km race.
‘‘I went in riding my own race, looking for my opportunities. It paid off. You can’t afford to come to a world champs and act like you are an underdog. I just had the mentality that I had to go out there and act like I am there to win . . . and that’s what happened. I can’t believe I pulled it off. I am super proud.’’
The triumph completed a remarkable comeback from Strong following a frightening incident in 2018.
Strong was laid up in a back brace after fracturing his T1 vertebra when he collided with a car at high speed during a time trial effort on a back road.
‘‘I was put under pressure a few times but fortunately it all came back together and in the last 20 laps I thought it was now or never,’’ he said.
‘‘How many opportunities do I get to race for a world title and I am in the perfect position? I just had to give it my everything and that’s what I did. I was overwhelmed with emotion when I crossed the line.
‘‘Yesterday ]Friday] was a big day with the team pursuit. We had high hopes for that but on the day, we were beaten by an unbelievable time. We didn’t come here to get silvers so I was really focused on having a good run in the points race and see what I could do.’’
One of the country’s most promising riders, Strong forced his way into the New Zealand team on the back of brilliant performances during the World Cup campaign.
Cycling New Zealand high performance director Martin Barras said Strong had been a revelation since joining the Performance Hub programme.
‘‘Every Olympic cycle has one and every Olympic team needs one – a young kid coming through the ranks really talented that doesn’t know anything better other than going hard at things, who handles himself really well with his team-mates despite the fact that he is new to the group and is obviously incredibly talented and hardworking,’’ Barras said.
‘‘He went hard at everything he did. It made for a really hard way to win a bike race but very, very impressive way to win a bike race as well.
‘‘He is a real asset on the bike but is also a real asset off the bike. He teammates appreciate him. The staff appreciate him. He has this quick wit and a bit of a smart-arse approach that we like and is essential to the make-up of this team.’’