Sweltering heat in Southland produced some fast times for the opening session of the Elite and Under-19 Track Cycling National Championships in Invercargill today.
The heat was on in the elite men’s 250m time trial final, with Auckland’s Ethan Mitchell claiming back his own New Zealand record in a time of 17.325 ahead of Southland riders Matt Archibold with 17.578, and Eddie Dawkins with 17.917.
Otago’s Katie Schofield also broke her own New Zealand record of 19.595 to secure a gold medal in the elite women’s 250m time trial, in a time of 19.326. Southland locals took the final two places on the podium, with Stephanie McKenzie taking silver with 19.730, and Natasha Hansen bronze with 20.211.
Olympian Jaime Nielson from Waikato was the fastest qualifier in the elite women’s 3000m individual pursuit with a time of 3:34.410. Nielson will face Auckland’s Georgia Williams in the final, who qualified second with 3:37.167. Fellow Olympian and Waikato rider Rushlee Buchanan rode the third fastest time of 3:40.129, and will ride for bronze against Laura Fairweather from Southland, who qualified with 3:40.237
Auckland’s Aaron Gate qualified fastest in the elite men’s 4000m individual pursuit, with a time of 4:21.636, ahead of Canterbury’s Michael Vink in 4.23.807. Auckland’s Myron Simpson took third with 4.24.397, and Southland’s Cameron Karwowski fourth with 4.28.154. Gate will face Vink to decide gold and silver, while Simpson will ride against Karwowski for bronze in the finals later tonight.
The afternoon session will resume at 6.30pm with an official opening featuring Mayor Tim Shadbolt, elite individual pursuit finals for men and women, under-19 time trials, elite time trials, and the under-19 men’s scratch race.
Results:
Elite men’s 250m time trial: 1 MITCHELL Ethan, 17.325, 2 ARCHIBOLD Matt, 17.578, 3 DAWKINS Eddie, 17.917, 4 WEBSTER Sam, 17.969.
Elite women’s 250m time trial: 1 SCHOFIELD Katie, 19.326, 2 MCKENZIE Stephanie, 19.730, 3 HANSEN Natasha, 20.211. 4 PATERSON Paige, 20.334.
Elite men’s 4000m time trial: 1 GATE Aaron, 4:21.636, 2 VINK, Michael, 4:23.807, 3 SIMPSON Myron, 4:24.397, 4 KARWOWSKI Cameron, 4:28.154
Elite women’s 3000m Individual Pursuit Qualifying: 1 NIELSEN Jaime, 3:34.410, 2 WILLIAMS Georgia, 3:37.167, 3 BUCHANAN, 3:40.129, 4 FAIRWEATHER Laura, 3:40.237
For full results please visit www.cyclingsouth.org.nz/tracknationals