The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Archibald hangs on for gold in omnium
Scot Katie Archibald thought she had blown it before claiming her first Track Cycling World Championships individual title with victory in the omnium in Hong Kong yesterday.
The 23-year-old from Milngavie won the opening two of four disciplines, but was clinging on by the end of the concluding points race.
She finished the day elated, wearing a world champion’s rainbow jersey.
“I thought it was home time,” said Archibald, who won ahead of Holland’s Kirsten Wild and Amy Cure of Australia.
“There was a point where I kept chasing. I put way too much into the chase watching Cure. And Wild just kept swinging up, swinging up. So I thought ‘Well, I’m just going to have to chase’.
“And then she attacks and I thought ‘Of course she attacks. That’s the right thing to do! I’m going to lose. Well done’.
“For it to happen the way it did, thinking I was either going to be last or first, was very confusing emotionally.”
Britain won six of 10 Olympic track titles in Rio – Archibald was part of the gold medalwinning team pursuit squad – and a youthful team has three medals from three days of competition here.
Olympic silver medallist Callum Skinner earlier exited the men’s sprint competition with a second round defeat to Max Niederlag.
Ryan Owens advanced and will meet the German in today’s best-of-three quarter-finals.
Archibald is also in action today, in the three-kilometres individual pursuit, while Elinor Barker and Emily Nelson race in the first Track World Championships women’s Madison.
Dundee’s Mark Stewart and Ollie Wood are expected to contest the men’s title tomorrow.