Cycling Australia

Australia have cleaned up on the opening night of the 2013 Oceania Track Championships winning eight of a possible 12 gold medals up for grabs at the Adelaide Super-Drome.

 

In the women's team pursuit, Ashlee Ankudinoff (NSW), London Olympic omnium bronze medalist Annette Edmondson (SA) and Isabella King (WA) were convincing winners, defeating New Zealand by ten seconds to win gold.  

 

The trio posted a time of 3mins 23.812secs to beat the NZ team of Sequoia Cooper, Gemma Dudley and Alysha Keith (3:33.100).

 

"There is plenty more to come where that came from we hope," said Ankudinoff, who claimed both the omnium and team pursuit silver medals at last weeks Glasgow round of the UCI Track Cycling World Cup Series. "I'm over the moon it's the first time we have ridden as a team together."

 

Later in the evening, Ankudinoff claimed her second gold in the women’s 10km scratch race where she defeated King and Edmondson respectively.  

 

The Australian under 19 women's combination of Josie Talbot (NSW), Kelsey Robson (WA) and Lauren Perry (TAS) were too strong for NZ, winning bronze (3:27.595).

 

In the men’s pursuit team the Australian quartet of Miles Scotson (SA), Alexander Morgan (VIC), Mitchell Mulhern (QLD) and newly crowned  Subaru National Road Series winner Luke Davison (SA) posted a time of 4:02.106 to claim gold over New Zealand’s Cameron Karwowski, Dylan Kennett, Hayden McCormick and Pieter bulling who finished in 4:10.324 with silver.

 

"This win is a great stepping stone for us as a group," said Victoria's Alex Morgan, who claimed the team pursuit junior world title in August with Scotson, Jack Cummings and Tirian McManus.

 

Just prior to the race, London Olympian Alex Edmondson was forced to withdraw after being struck with food poisoning on the eve of the championships.  Despite the loss, the newly formed team looked very much the part on the track as they powered to the title.

 

"Like the women it's the first time we have raced together and we had a good smooth ride coming in at 4.02 - that is just fantastic,” Morgan added.

 

No bronze medal was on offer for the men’s Team Pursuit with only three teams competed in the qualifying round.

 

Australia also collected gold in the men’s team sprint as the trio of Matthew Glaetzer (SA), Alex Bird (ACT) and Peter Lewis (NSW) (44.066) defeated New Zealand’s Matthew Archibald, Ethan Mitchell and Sam Webster (44.451).

 

Nathan Hart (ACT), Mitchell Bullen (NSW) and James Glasspool (SA) took the bronze medal with a time of 44.851 over Jaron Gardiner (VIC), Jacob Schmid (VIC) and Jamie Green (NSW).

 

Sixteen-year-old Jack Edwards was one of the emerging stars who excelled on night one, with the New South Wales rider claiming his first Oceania title in the under 19 individual pursuit.

 

Edwards caught his older opponent, reigning junior time trial world champion Zac Shaw (VIC), in the dying stages of the event, powering to the line to record a time of 3:10.250.

 

"I am very happy and proud to win gold for my first Oceania medal, but there is still room for improvement and I'll be working on that," said Edwards.  

 

The bronze medal went to South Australian Callum Scotson who caught Joshua Harrison (SA).

 

London Olympic team sprint bronze medalist Kaarle McCulloch (NSW) blitzed her way to the women’s 500m time trial title, covering the two laps in 34:260 to edge New Zealand’s Katie Schofield (35:342) and Stephanie McKenzie (35:562).

 

Australia enjoyed a clean sweep of the under 19 women’s 500m time trial with Tian Beckett (WA) claiming gold (35:699), Tennille Falappi (QLD) silver (37:016) and Victoria’s Emily Apolito taking home the bronze medal (37:596).

 

In the women’s team sprint, New Zealand’s Natasha Hansen and Katie Schofield (34.450) teamed up to win gold over the South Australian pair of Australia’s Rikki Belder and Stephanie Morton (34.622).

 

Stefanie Ferdnandez-Preiska and Cassandra Kell (NSW) took the bronze (34:918) over Catherine Culvenor (ACT) and Taylah Jennings (QLD).

 

In the under 19 men’s team sprint, South Australia’s Jai Angsuthasawit, Patrick Constable and Alexander Radzikiewicz (46:669) clinched gold over New Zealand’s Quinn Karwowski, Jeremy Presbury and Callum Saunder (47:649), while New South Wales teammates Michael Docker, Max Housden and Travis Smedley claimed bronze (47:298).

 

New Zealand took out all three placing’s in the men’s 1km time trial with the gold medal going to Edward Dawkins (1:01:363). Cameron Karwowski claimed silver (1:03:670) and Matt Dodds took the bronze medal (1:05:360).

 

In the men’s 15km scratch race, New Zealand’s Dylan Kennett pocketed the gold over fellow countryman Pieter Bulling, with Caleb Ewan of New South Wales taking the bronze.

 

New Zealand also celebrated gold in the under 19 women’s 7.5km scratch race through Alice Hay who won over South Australia’s Samantha Fromentin and Victoria’s Ruby Greig-Hurtig.

 

The under 19 men’s omnium also got underway on day one, with Sam Welsford (WA) claiming the first round ‘Flying Lap’ event over Nick Kergozou (NZ) second and Bradley Heffernan (NSW) third.

 

Round two saw Matthew Holmes (SA) win the points race over Joshua Harrison (SA) second and Theodore Yates (WA) third, while in the ‘Elimination Race’ third round, South Australia’s Josh Harrison won ahead of Michael Rice (ACT) and Bradley Heffernan (NSW).

 

The 2013 Oceania Track Championships will be held from November 28 - December 1 at the Adelaide Super-Drome.

 

Thursday’s action will see finals in the men and women’s individual pursuit, under 19 men’s time trial, omnium, points race and the women’s elite and under 19 keirin as well as the under 19 women’s individual pursuit.