UCI OCEANIA TRACK CYCLING CHAMPIONSHIPS – NZ MORNING HEATS DAY 4
The sprinters are set for another Kiwi-Australia showdown on the final day of the UCI Oceania Track Championships in Cambridge.
The main protagonists Sam Webster and Eddie Dawkins lead the Kiwi qualifiers through to the semifinals of the elite men’s keirin competition, while Matthew Glaetzer, Jacob Schmid, Patrick Constable and Nathan Hart are safely through from Australia.
They face the semifinals and finals on the evening programme at the Avantidrome.
Crack Australian sprinters Stephanie Morton and Kaarle McCulloch will meet in the final of the women’s sprint tonight.
They were the fastest qualifiers with Morton clocking 10.654s in the 200m flying lap to break the New Zealand All Comers record of 10.836 set by Dutchwoman Elis Ligtee at the World Cup in Cambridge two years ago.
Best of the Kiwis was double Olympian Natasha Hansen in a slick 10.997, only 0.1s outside her national record.
Morton took out rising New Zealand star Olivia Podmore in two straight rides as did McCulloch over Hansen in the semifinals.
There were two titles decided in the under-19 competition with big Waikato rider George Jackson claiming the double-points final sprint to take out the 15km Points race on 15 points ahead of Australian Daniel Gandy (13 points) and Nelson’s Finn Fisher-Black (12 points).
It proved an all-New Zealand affair in the junior women’s 7.5km scratch race with McKenzie Milne prevailing ahead of Ally Wollaston and sprint star Shaane Fulton.
Tonight’s action includes titles in the exciting two-person Madison competition for both men and women in junior and elite grades. The other finals including the Under-19 and Elite men’s keirin and women’s sprint.
Results, Elite
Women sprint qualifying: Stephanie Morton (AUS) 10.654, 1 (All Comers Record); Kaarle McCulloch (AUS) 10.908, 2; Natasha Hansen (N ZL) 10.997, 3; Olivia Podmore (NZL) 11.097, 4; Holly Takos (AUS) 11.125, 5; Emma Cumming (NZL) 11.159, 6; Caitlin Ward (South Australia) 11.205, 7l Tess Young (Waikato BOP) 11.452, 8.
Quarterfinal: Morton bt Young 2-0, McCulloch bt Warn 2-0, Hansen bt Cumming 2-0, Podmore bt Takos 2-0. Semifinal: Morton bt Podmore 2-0, McCulloch bt Hansen 2-0.
Men Keirin qualifiers: Heat 1 Matthew Glaetzer (AUS) 1, Bradly Knipe (Southland) 2. Heat 2 Jacob Schmid (AUS) 1, Eddie Dawkins (NZL) 2. Heat 3: Patrick Constable (AUS) 1, Thomas Clarke (South Australia) 2. Heat 4 Sam Webster (NZL) 1, Nathan Hart (AUS) 2. Repechage qualifiers: Zac Williams (NZL), Braeden Dean (Victoria), Jordan Castle (WCNI), Dan Rafferty (Western Australia).
Under-19
Women Scratch 7.5km: McKenzie Milne (NZL), Ally Wollaston (NZL) 2, Shaane Fulton (NZL) 3.
Men 15km Points race: George Jackson (Waikato BOP) 15 points, 1; Daniel Gandy (NSW) 13, 2; Finn Fisher-Black (N ZL) 12, 3.
CAPTION: Sam Webster wins his heat of the keirin at the Avantidrome today.
Photo courtesy Dianne Manson
LIVE RESULTS: www.veloresults.com
LIVE STREAMING: www.sbi-productions.co.nz/cyclingchamps