No longer the bridesmaid
Britain’s Elinor Barker wins world championship gold
She said she was getting bored of listening to other people’s national anthems. So, in a powerful display of self-determination, Elinor Barker – the “bridesmaid of bunch racing” to use her own description – went and did something about it.
A classy performance, full of guts and determination, delivered gold for Great Britain in the women’s points race on the fifth and final day of the track world championships in Hong Kong.
The victory added a bit of gloss to what was in truth a mixed week for the British team. GB coaches selected a very young squad, with many of their biggest stars either retired or resting after their Rio exertions. And in that context, five medals – two gold, two silver and one bronze – was not a bad return.
When you consider, though, that four of those medals involved either Barker or her fellow Olympic team pursuit champion Katie Archibald, who won omnium gold on Friday, it must be said there were also disappointments. The men’s endurance squad as a whole did not have a brilliant week. Chris Latham, who like Archibald and Barker had been released from the burden of the team pursuit, won bronze in the scratch and clearly has talent. But he struggled in the omnium.
Mark Stewart and Ollie Wood, two very talented young riders, had to abort yesterday’s final event of the week, the men’s Madison, with their tanks completely on empty.
“That’s a terrible performance if you are going to be blunt,” Stewart admitted afterwards. “I hate DNFing but the lights were out there. I understand you have got these highs and lows. It makes me motivated to go back and do it right.”
Elsewhere, Callum Skinner and Katy Marchant did not find their “zing” to use Marchant’s description. Neither had really trained fully for these worlds having taken plenty of time off post-Rio. But still, both would have hoped for more. The depth of women’s sprinting generally remains a worry for GB, with Becky James’ future still up in the air. The cupboard is fuller on the men’s side, with Jack Carlin, Ryan Owens and Joe Truman looking a very handy trio, all of them capable of putting pressure on Olympic champions Phil Hindes, Skinner and Jason Kenny, should he decide to return.
Overall, though, there was plenty of promise shown in what was for many of these riders a first outing at this level. If they need any inspiration they need only look to Barker.
A former junior world time trial champion, the 22-year-old – like Archibald – is looking increasingly assured in everything she does. Barker was already hugely decorated before these championships. As part of GB’s all-conquering pursuit team she had won world and Olympic team pursuit titles.
Yesterday’s win, though, was her first senior title as an individual. And it was sweeter after finishing runner-up in the scratch race and the Madison earlier in the week.
“I feel like I’m a constant bunch race bridesmaid,” she laughed as she prepared, finally, to listen to her own national anthem. “I just tried to learn from years and years and years of mistakes. I should have been right on [the American Sarah] Hammer’s wheel when she went and it would have saved me a whole bunch of energy.”
Barker was referring to her thrilling battle with Hammer, the eighttime world track champion.
After a measured start, the pair of them had attacked after the fourth sprint – won by Barker – quickly gaining a lap on the field. That had seen them assume a commanding position points-wise, with Barker well on top having won the fifth sprint and finished second in the next two. The wheels began to come off when Hammer – the fivetime world individual pursuit champion – launched a grim solo attack; the American finally making her move stick with just under 20 laps remaining, meaning Barker also had to take a second lap or risk ending up with a third silver of the week and the “bridesmaid” tag again.
She redoubled her efforts, setting off with third-placed Kirsten Wild for company.
“I was so nervous,” she admitted. “I was seriously running out of laps. I think it was six to go, and my coach [Chris Newton] just shouted ‘sprint’ which I think was the only thing I could do.”
She did, though. And not only that, Barker still had enough in the tank to get in front of Hammer and box her rival in, ensuring she could not contest the final sprint. No longer the bridesmaid.