Hoy rallies, Meares sets record
Source: Agencies |
April 9, 2012, Monday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
CHRIS Hoy stormed to victory in the keirin on the closing day of the cycling world championships in Melbourne yesterday to send Team Great Britain home brimful of confidence ahead of the London Olympics.
Trailing fourth into the final bend and seemingly out of medal contention, Hoy roared down the velodrome slope to take the inside lane and powered home to edge Germany's Maximilian Levy on the line to notch his 11th world title.
"You never know, it might be (my last world championships), but if it is, then what a way to finish," the thrilled four-time Olympic champion told reporters.
"I'd felt the chance of winning had gone by the time I hit the back straight with half a lap to go, I'd hesitated for too long. Normally I would have gone around the outside and just put my foot down but I'd kind of killed the run-on and lost momentum.
"So it was one last chance. I'd never done it before in my life - gone up the inside - it was a real kind of last chance saloon ... I couldn't believe the door opened and I managed to get through."
New Zealand's Simon van Velthooven, one of a clutch of riders non-plussed by the barrel-chested Scot's audacious move, crossed the line third but was later relegated for illegally moving into a rider's line, handing the bronze to sprint silver medalist Jason Kenny.
Hoy's sensational victory capped a dominant performance by Britain as it won five out of the 10 Olympic category gold medals up for grabs in Melbourne.
Host Australia claimed three of the Olympic titles, with Germany and France snaring one apiece.
Australia's Anna Meares earlier set a world record to win the women's 500-meter time trial title, burning around the Hisense Arena to post a time of 33.010 seconds, smashing the previous mark of 33.296 set by Lithuania's Simona Krupeckaite in 2009.
It was Meares's second world record at her home championships, the 28-year-old also setting a new mark in a flying 200 meters lap of the first qualifying session in the women's sprint.
"I can't be too disappointed with that," said Meares, who also set a world record to win gold at the 2004 Athens Games before it was stripped from the Olympic program.
"I love this event .... There's no one else to get in my way for starters and it's pure speed and it suits pure control."
Meares tearfully lost her sprint title to British arch-rival Victoria Pendleton in the final on Friday but put the disappointment behind her to win the keirin title the following evening.
New Zealand's Alison Shanks defeated Briton Wendy Houvenaghel for her second title in the non-Olympic women's individual pursuit. Ashlee Ankudinoff won an all-Australian battle against Amy Cure for bronze.
Trailing fourth into the final bend and seemingly out of medal contention, Hoy roared down the velodrome slope to take the inside lane and powered home to edge Germany's Maximilian Levy on the line to notch his 11th world title.
"You never know, it might be (my last world championships), but if it is, then what a way to finish," the thrilled four-time Olympic champion told reporters.
"I'd felt the chance of winning had gone by the time I hit the back straight with half a lap to go, I'd hesitated for too long. Normally I would have gone around the outside and just put my foot down but I'd kind of killed the run-on and lost momentum.
"So it was one last chance. I'd never done it before in my life - gone up the inside - it was a real kind of last chance saloon ... I couldn't believe the door opened and I managed to get through."
New Zealand's Simon van Velthooven, one of a clutch of riders non-plussed by the barrel-chested Scot's audacious move, crossed the line third but was later relegated for illegally moving into a rider's line, handing the bronze to sprint silver medalist Jason Kenny.
Hoy's sensational victory capped a dominant performance by Britain as it won five out of the 10 Olympic category gold medals up for grabs in Melbourne.
Host Australia claimed three of the Olympic titles, with Germany and France snaring one apiece.
Australia's Anna Meares earlier set a world record to win the women's 500-meter time trial title, burning around the Hisense Arena to post a time of 33.010 seconds, smashing the previous mark of 33.296 set by Lithuania's Simona Krupeckaite in 2009.
It was Meares's second world record at her home championships, the 28-year-old also setting a new mark in a flying 200 meters lap of the first qualifying session in the women's sprint.
"I can't be too disappointed with that," said Meares, who also set a world record to win gold at the 2004 Athens Games before it was stripped from the Olympic program.
"I love this event .... There's no one else to get in my way for starters and it's pure speed and it suits pure control."
Meares tearfully lost her sprint title to British arch-rival Victoria Pendleton in the final on Friday but put the disappointment behind her to win the keirin title the following evening.
New Zealand's Alison Shanks defeated Briton Wendy Houvenaghel for her second title in the non-Olympic women's individual pursuit. Ashlee Ankudinoff won an all-Australian battle against Amy Cure for bronze.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
