Record goes as men ride to glory
AUSTRALIA reclaimed the men’s team pursuit world record for the first time since 2004 with a breathtaking gold medal ride of 3mins 49.8 secs TRIATHLON: in Brisbane last night.
The quartet of Alex Porter, Sam Welsford, Kelland O’Brien and Leigh Howard produced the first ever sub 3: 50 ride over 4km to beat England in the final on the Anna Meares Velodrome.
Australia lost a heartbreaking Olympic final in Rio two years ago when it broke the world record, only for Great Britain to break it by more and stop the clock at 3: 50.2.
But last night the record finally returned to Australia’s grasp as an almost entirely new- look squad hit back.
Welsford is the only remaining member from the Rio campaign, while Howard only returned to track cycling from the road last year, and Porter, 21, and O’Brien, 19, are on their Games debut.
In a major boost to the team’s confidence for the rest of the week, both the men and women’s team pursuits claimed gold on a huge opening night of competition.
Earlier, the women pursuiters made history and buried some of their demons by winning the team’s first gold medal of the Games.
Two years after their Rio Olympic campaign was essentially over before it began with a training crash on the eve of competition, the Australian squad won the first ever women’s team pursuit on the Commonwealth Games program.
Guided by new coach Jason Bartram, riders Alex Manly, Annette Edmondson, Amy Cure and Ashlee Ankudinoff celebrated with a group hug on the inside of the track after beating New Zealand in a Games record 4mins 15.214 secs in the 4km final.