Stewart’s super silver ride
Campbell Stewart won his second Commonwealth Games silver medal after a superb ride in the points race.
Australian Cameron Meyer won the last two world champions points races and was everybody’s favourite to take out the race on Sunday night at the Anna Meares Velodrome, but it was the young Kiwi from Palmerston North and Scotland’s Mark Stewart who caused a big upset.
Campbell Stewart had a chance to win the race if he could win the final sprint, worth double points, but just didn’t have the legs after a torrid race. He finished on 69 points, 12 behind Mark Stewart, while Meyer could only manage fourth. It was a remarkable achievement for the 19-year-old in his first Commonwealth Games after he also took silver in the scratch race on Saturday night.
Mark Stewart got a jump on the rest of the riders when getting a solo lap on the field early on. He was then able to cover the rest of the moves as nine other riders took two laps each.
Campbell Stewart won an astounding four of the 10 sprints, two more than his namesake, but that early lap proved crucial in the Scot’s win.
Meyer was a marked man throughout, with all the other nations ensuring he never got into a small or solo break.
The young Kiwi was quick to pay tribute to his team-mates, Regan Gough and Tom Sexton, who both sacrificed their own chances by helping to chase down countless Meyer breaks.
‘‘Another unreal race. Again, teamwork from the boys. Last night [in the scratch race], it was Dylan Kennett and Nick Kergozou riding their hearts out, tonight Tommy and Reggie rode themselves into the ground, I don’t think they had anything left - I know I didn’t have anything left.
‘‘We were able to pull it off again, just not quite [gold], but we’re still so young. Regan is 21, Tom’s 19, I’m 19, there are plenty more years to come and a lot of strength to build, it’s exciting.’’
His silver was the 12th and final medal for New Zealand on the track , two more than they won in Glasgow, although there were three more events on the Gold Coast.