Medals for Southlanders at Junior Track Cycling World Championships
Southland's Riley Faulkner and Caitlin Kelly joined Jodie Blackwood (Cambridge) to help New Zealand to a silver medal in the team sprint in China.
Southland’s Riley Faulkner and Caitlin Kelly stepped onto the podium on the opening day of the UCI Junior Track Cycling World Championships in Luoyang, China.
Faulkner and Kelly joined Jodie Blackwood (Cambridge) in the team sprint to set a New Zealand record on their way to the silver medal in a strong showing in the new velodrome in one of China’s oldest cities.
They qualified second fastest, setting a new national record of 49.959s, with the hosts setting a new world record to be top qualifiers.
The Kiwis were too strong for Chinese Taipei in the first round, lowering their new national record to 49.605s to qualify for the finals against the hosts.
They recovered from a pulled foot out of the pedals in the final to clock 50.851s with China taking the gold medal and New Zealand the silver to make an outstanding start to the week-long championships.
It was a second medal for Kelly, who gained New Zealand’s only podium placing in last year’s junior world championships.
“There were two very well executed rides by the girls but they unfortunately putted a foot in the last ride, recovering well but finishing just behind China. But they broke the national record twice today and should be well pleased with their effort,” said Cycling New Zealand coach Fionn Cullinane.
Meanwhile, Faulkner was sixth fastest in qualifying in the women’s 500m time trial, recording an impressive 34.934s which earned a start among the fastest eight riders in the final.
Faulkner clocked 35.157s in the final to finish seventh.
Kelly clocked 36.299s in qualifying to be 13th overall.
The third Southlander at the World Junior Championships - Magnus Jamieson - was part of the New Zealand men’s team pursuit which finished seventh.
The New Zealand men’s team pursuit finished seventh in the 4000m timed test. They were sixth fastest in qualifying in 4:04.640, and lowered this to 4.03.957 in round one but were beaten by China after matching their opponents through 3000m.
“The boys produced a very good technical ride in the final and executed the plan well but didn’t quite have the legs to match the top teams today,” Cullinane said.
Jamieson was 10th overall in the men’s omnium with a competitive performance. He was sixth in the scratch race, 13th in the tempo, seventh in the elimination and 11th in the points race for his overall 10th placing.