World Junior Track Cycling Championships - CDM

Australia, August 21-25 2002

Event program and results    Men's IP    Women's IP

Individual Pursuit

Men - First gold to Australia

By Karen Forman in Melbourne

Tasmanian rider Mark Jamieson
Photo: © Tom Balks

Host country Australia has won the first gold medal of the 2002 Junior World Track Cycling Championships. Tonight's win on Melbourne's Vodafone Arena velodrome came courtesy of Tasmanian rider Mark Jamieson, who rode perfectly to his coach Gary Sutton's brilliantly concocted game plan to beat out fastest qualifier Mkhail Ignatiev from Russia. The winning time was 3.22.694.

Earlier in the first day of the championships, Jamieson had recorded a qualifying time of 3.21.31 - two seconds outside the 1994 world record set by fellow Australian Bradley McGee in Adelaide (3.19.878). Ignatiev had made the journey in 3.22.14. Not too quick for Australian coach Gary Sutton to stand by and take some notes . . . notes which would prove crucial to Jamieson's win later in the evening...

It was after watching the Russian that Sutton realised that to beat him, Jamieson would have to hit out very hard. Get a second and a half ahead. And then stay there despite an inevitable comeback from Ignatiev.

Australian pursuit champion Jamieson looked strong and confident in his distinctive green and gold striped skinsuit, but inside, he later admitted, he was "nervous". The Russian, resplendent in red, white and blue, had the confidence of having qualified faster.

But Jamieson had one advantage: A roaring, home town crowd. And roar it did. The 18 year old from the town of Nook, near Davenport in Tasmania, had a very strong start. Flying, he had achieved the upper hand at 1.01.091 for his first three and a half laps. The Russian was fighting hard and riding with the smoothness of experience, but Jamieson was still holding the lead...and soon it was more than a second. Then a second and a half.

Sutton was on the sideline. Keep it going, Jamo.

The Russian was still looking strong and in fact, getting stronger. Jamieson was visibly tiring but still ahead at the bell. The Russian fought back and there were some anxious moments in the crowd at the countdown to the finish line.

It was very close but Jamieson had gained his gold. The Russian was second and his team mate Serguei Kulakov took the bronze in 3.25.137 ahead of Ukranian Vitaliy Kondruit in 3.26.990 in the run for bronze.

Legs shaking with fatigue, Jamieson couldn't wipe the smile of his winner's face. "Just the start, mate, just the start," he said to one of his team mates as he returned to the in-field.

Serguei Ulakov pulled in the bronze.
Photo: © Tom Balks

"Basically he needed to do the same time as he qualified in," coach Sutton said while Jamieson was subjected to a quick blood test. "What you see with him is what you get. He's a tough rider. He went out hard in the first kilometre; everything went according to the game plan. I thought the Russian would back up. I watched him in the qualifying; I looked at his two splits and I knew that Mark had to get one and a half seconds up first."

Jamieson totally trusted his coach. "Gary knows what he's talking about," he said. "The Russian did back up and it was unreal that I could get ahead then keep it up."

He said he was more stressed than nervous at the start but by the last kilometre he was "riding on a high with them (his coach and team). "My legs were burning from the start, but that is how a world title is," he said. "The Russian has been training his whole life to beat you and you have been training your whole life to beat him, so..."

He said winning a world title was "an unbelievable buzz" and a great start to the week. "It is great to have a rainbow jersey at such a young age," he said.

Photos

• Serguei Ulakov pulled in the bronze
• Mkhail Ignatiev on his way to a silver medal
• Go for gold son, go for gold
• A calm Mark Jamieson on the rollers
• Mark Jamieson now wears gold after winning the Men's Individual Pursuit
• A very shiny Mark Jamieson receives his medal
• Mark Jamieson looks very happy with his result
• Coach Gary Sutton encourages Mark Jamieson to ride harder

Results

Qualification

1 Mark Jamieson (Australia)            3.21.31
2 Mkhail Ignatiev (Russia)             3.22.14
3 Serguei Ulakov (Russia)              3.24.89
4 Christopher Pascoe (Australia)       3.25.67
5 Vitaliy Kondrut (Ukraine)            3.27.63
6 Maksym Polishchuk (Ukraine)          3.27.79
7 Kevin Lalouette (France)             3.27.91
8 Richard Ondryas (Czech Republic)     3.27.93
9 Robert Kriegs (Germany)              3.29.00
10 Richard Ochoa (Venezuela )          3.29.84
11 Mathieu Ladagnous (France)          3.30.30
12 Casper Jorgensen (Denmark)          3.30.92
13 Peter Latham (New Zealand)          3.31.59
14 Troy Klink (New Zealand)            3.31.69
15 David Studnicka (Czech Republic)    3.32.46
16 Christian Kux (Germany)             3.33.76
17 Gregory Devaud (Switzerland)        3.34.02
18 Thomas White (Great Britain)        3.34.75
19 Kenny De Ketele (Belgium)           3.35.06
20 Geertjan Jonkman (Netherlands)      3.37.29
21 Masanao Usui (Japan)                3.37.52
22 Gideon De Jong (Netherlands)        3.37.64
23 Chi-Seng Huang (Taiwan)             3.38.75
24 Mohd Sayuti Mohd Zahit (Malaysia)   3.39.31
25 Manuel Hermann (Liechtenstein)      3.41.25
26 Chein-Chung Chen (Taiwan)           3.49.37
27 Tobins Walch (Liechtenstein)        3.55.68
 
First round
  
Heat 1
 
1 Christopher Pascoe (Australia)
2 Vitaliy Kondrut (Ukraine)
 
Heat 2
 
1 Serguei Ulakov (Russia)
2 Maksym Polishchuk (Ukraine)
 
Heat 3
 
1 Mkhail Ignatiev (Russia)
2 Kevin Lalouette (France)
 
Heat 4
 
1 Mark Jamieson (Australia)
2 Richard Ondryas (Czech Republic)

Final classification

1 Mark Jamieson (Australia)           3.22.694 (53.282 km/h)
2 Mkhail Ignatiev (Russia)            3.23.161
3 Serguei Ulakov (Russia)             3.25.137
4 Vitaliy Kondrut (Ukraine)           3.26.990
5 Maksym Polishchuk (Ukraine)         3.26.194
6 Kevin Lalouette (France)            3.28.231
7 Richard Ondryas (Czech Republic)    3.29.240
8 Christopher Pascoe (Australia)      3.29.448

Women

Results

Qualifying
 
1 Julia Kurtzke (Germany)             2.29.975 (48.008 km/h)
2 Alexis Rhodes (Australia)           2.31.400
3 Fu Shimei (China)                   2.32.272 
4 Luise Keller (Germany)              2.32.702 
5 Belinda Goss (Australia)            2.33.649 
6 Miranda Vierling (Netherlands)      2.33.734 
7 Monica Huerta (Mexico)              2.34.811 
8 Mei-Yu Hsiao (Taiwan)               2.40.288 

Quarter Finals

Quarter final 1
                                        1 km       2 km
1 Luise Keller (Germany)              1.17.764   2.34.949 (46.467 km/h)
2 Belinda Goss (Australia)            1.17.127   2.35.268

Quarter final 2

1 Miranda Vierling (Netherlands)      1.17.752   2.32.490 (47.216 km/h)
2 Fu Shimei (China)                   1.18.379   2.33.770

Quarter final 3

1 Alexis Rhodes (Australia)           1.16.030   2.31.800 (47.431 km/h)
2 Monica Huerta (Mexico)              1.18.225   2.35.323

Quarter final 4

1 Julia Kurtzke (Germany)             1.16.132   2.29.342 (48.211 km/h)
2 Mei-Yu Hsiao (Taiwan)               1.23.804   2.51.873

Program