World title realises dream for Hastings

ROTORUA teenager Jenna Hastings realised a dream in winning the rainbow jersey in the junior women’s downhill world championship in France yesterday.

Hastings rode on the edge on a previously bonehard track made sodden and slippery from overnight rain to finish 1.8sec faster than Canadian Gracey Hemstreet.

Colombian Valentina Roa

Sanchez was nearly 15sec back in third.

The 2.5km downhill course proved slippery and tricky, resulting in numerous crashes throughout the day, including defending champion Izabella Yankova, of Bulgaria, who failed to finish.

Hastings became only the second New Zealander to win the junior women’s downhill world title.

Queenstown rider Scarlett Hagen won the race in 2004, also at Les Gets, when the world championships was last in the French ski resort town.

“Winning a world championship has been the dream ever since I started riding a mountain bike and realised I wanted to do it as a career,’’ Hastings said.

‘‘Actually achieving that is pretty meaningful.

“I’ve been getting second, third and fourth and thinking I am fast enough but not quite fast enough. So winning tells me that I have what it takes to be one of the best.”

She was unsure coming into the world championships after fracturing her thumb which meant she missed a key world cup in Canada, and the rain changed things dramatically on the previously hard and dusty surface.

Hastings’ teammate, Caitlin Flavell, finished 10th in the same race.

Queenstown national champion Jess Blewitt was 10th in the elite women’s race won by Austrian Valentina Holl, and fellow Kiwi Kalani Muirhead finished 20th.

There was a French shutout in the men’s elite race led by Loic Bruni, who won his fifth elite rainbow jersey.

Best of the New Zealand team was inform Taranaki professional Ed Masters in 30th, 10sec behind the winner after a strong performance in the slippery conditions.

On Saturday, New Zealand star Sam Gaze won the shorttrack crosscountry title.

Fresh from his gold medal at the Commonwealth Games, Gaze outsprinted his rivals on the final lap to win the rainbow jersey.