UCI OCEANIA TRACK CYCLING CHAMPIONSHIPS – NZ MORNING HEATS DAY 3
The records continued to fall as the sprinters came out to play on the penultimate morning of action at the UCI Oceania Track Championships in Cambridge.
Australian Matt Glaetzer, who recorded the fastest ever sea level time for the 1000m time trial at the recent World Cup in Europe, topped qualifiers in the elite men’s 200m flying lap. He was timed at 9.681s which clipped 17/100ths of a second off the New Zealand All Comers record that he set on the same track at the 2015 World Cup.
The 10-second barrier used to be the mark that most sprinters aspired to in the 200m Flying Lap but seven riders crashed through that time in the men’s elite qualifying.
Glaetzer was followed by former junior world sprint champion and compatriot Jacob Schmid in 9.736 who edged Kiwi record holder Eddie Dawkins (9.740) and world silver medallist Ethan Mitchell (9.740).
The major casualty in the elimination races was Dawkins who lost in two straight rides to Vantage Elite teammate Sam Webster in the quarterfinal.
The other member of the World Champion Team Sprint, Ethan Mitchell edged out Australia’s Patrick Constable in a deciding third ride, after he crashed in the first race.
In tonight’s semifinals Mitchell now meets top seed Glaetzer while Webster takes on Schmid.
In the elite women’s omnium, Racquel Sheath leads on 76 points from Vantage Elite teammates Rushlee Buchanan 74 and Michaela Drummond 70 after the scratch and tempo races, with the elimination and points race tonight.
Australian pursuit world champion Jordan Kerby showed his class in the elite men’s omnium, winning both the scratch and tempo races.
The finals session starts at 4pm with the final day of competition on Friday.
Results, Elite
Men sprint qualifying: Matthew Glaetzer (Australia) 9.681, 1 (All Comers Record); Jacob Schmid (Australia) 9.736, 2; Eddie Dawkins (NZL) 9.740, 3; Ethan Mitchell (NZL) 9.776, 4; Patrick Constable (Australia) 9.837, 5; Sam Webster (NZL) 9.852, 6.
Under-19:
Women sprint qualifying: Shaane Fulton (NZL) 11.747, 1; Nicole Marshall (NZL) 12.060, 2; Rihana Pezaj (Western Australia) 12.148, 3; Britney Greene (NZL) 12.190, 4.
Men sprint qualifying: Leigh Hoffman (South Australia) 10.459, 1; Thomas Cornish (NSW) 484, 2; Thomas Garbett (WCNI) 10.567, 3; Ewan Syme (Southland) 10.984, 4.
CAPTION: Ethan Mitchell in action during the sprint qualifying at the Avantidrome today.
Image courtesy Dianne Manson
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