World Junior Track Cycling Championships - CDM

Australia, August 21-25 2002

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

Women's Sprint - August 23-24, 2002

Third gold for Frisoni

By Karen Forman In Melbourne

Elisa Frisoni
Photo: © Tom Balks

Elisa Frisoni came to the 2002 World Junior Track Cycling Championships after gold medal winning rides at the European championships, nurturing a small hope that she might pick up a gold medal in her pet time trial event.

She certainly didn't expect to become the most successful rider of the series so far , winning not only the 500m time trial but the keirin and tonight, the sprint.

She was, understandably, ecstatic. But no more ecstatic than her parents and siblings, who, she said, were at home in Verona drinking wine in celebration. Or the Italian sprint coach Federico Paris. Or her sole other team mate, Eleonara Soldo, her to ride the points and scratch races.

Why only two girls and no men? According to Paris, it was due to an Italian team decision to only allow cyclists who had won medals at the European championships, to contest the junior worlds.

With gold medal wins in the 500m time trial and the sprint at the European Championships last month, Frisoni was an obvious choice for Australia - and the decision proved to be the right one when the youngster who studies agriculture but dreams of being a hairdresser collected her third gold in the sprint tonight.

Pitted against Russian Ekaterina Merzlikin in the final sprint for the evening (after taking the first heat), Frisoni was in the lead position and led her opponent round the bottom of the track very slowly, head turned to the right to place the Russian under constant watch.

In one of the most tactical rides of the event, she then slowly increased the pace in the leadup to the bell, but delayed making her move to the line for as long as possible. The jump did not come until the back straight and Frisoni was never in doubt, sprinting quickly and smoothly in the seat and staying clear of Merzlikin to finish well ahead in 13.856.

The sprint was Frisoni's final ride for the championships. She said she liked the track very much and had found it much faster than her outdoor home track in Verona. She said she had no secret training formula, but listens "very well" to her coach. "It is very necessary in life, to listen to your coach," she said.

Although she rides the road more or less as training for the track, she isn't certain where she will go from here and whether the World Junior Road Cycling Championships will be on the cards for her in Belgium next month.

However, she does admit to dreaming of the Olympics and coach Paris believes she is a good chance for Athens. Meanwhile, it's time for celebrations. "Vino, no," she said. "Non mi piace vino". She doesn't like wine. But she said her family would be making up for that.

The bronze medal went to Jennifer Strohschneider (Germany) who defeated Rachel Herring of the USA.

Qualifying and quarter finals - Friday, August 23, 2002

The third day of competition day began on a fast note with the womens sprint 200m qualifying. Top qualifier was Jeannot Emilie of France 12.121, hitting a top speed of 59.401kmh. Italian, Elisa Frisoni, with two gold medals already in the women's keirin and 500m TT, was second fastest with 12.217 and Chinese Shi Wenya third with 12.326. Host country rider Lucy Stewart was fourth in 12.418.

USA wins
Photo: © WJTCC

However, the French rider did not win her first heat when she was up against Ekaterina Merzlikina (Russia) and had to progress to the quarter finals via a repechage heat, which she won against Tomoko Endo of Japan and Mei-Yu Hsiao (Taiwan). Frisoni, meanwhile, appears to be in a class of her own with more pure speed and the Italian teenager easily progressed to the quarter finals, where she found herself racing Jeannot. But again, Frisoni disposed of the French rider in both rides of the quarter-finals.

The other riders to qualify for the semi-finals on Saturday night include the Russian Merzlikinawho defeated her team-mate Anastasia Chulkova in the quarter-finals, while Jennifer Strohschneider (Germany) also went through to the semis by defeating Rebecca Borgo (Australia) in two rides.

The fourth pairing of riders in the quarter-finals was made up of the only USA rider to compete that day, Rachel Herring, who was up against Lucy Stewart (Australia). While Stewart took out he first ride, Herring came back to win the next two and finds herself in the semi-finals.

"The semi-finals are not going to be easy for Rachel, but she's fighting and riding well. We're going to give it our best," said USA Cycling Sprint Track Coach Des Dickie.

Photography

Photos by Tom Balks

Finals

• Rachel Herring (USA) gets ready for combat. Are swords allowed?
• Rachel Herring (USA) and Ekaterina Merzlikina (Russia) face off in the women's sprint
• Jennifer Strohschneider (Germany) rides during the women's sprint
• Jennifer Strohschneider (Germany) looks behind her during the women's sprint
• Elisa Frisoni (Italy) gets some advice from her coach before the final of the women's sprint
• Elisa Frisoni (Italy) on her way to winning the women's sprint

Preliminary rounds

• Jenni Strohscheider of Germany concentrates
• Chulkova & Frisoni fight it out in the Women's Sprint
• Elisa Frisoni powers home
• Jenni Strohscheider (Ger) being closely followed
• Rachel Herring (USA) just leads Lucy Stewart (Australia)
• Jenni Strohscheider starts off

Qualifying
 
1 Emilie Jeannot (France)               12.121 (59.401km/h)
2 Elisa Frisoni (Italy)                 12.217 (58.934km/h)
3 Shi Wenya (China)                     12.326 (58.413km/h)
4 Lucy Stewart (Australia)              12.418 (57.980km/h)
5 Rachel Herring (USA)                  12.484 (57.674km/h)
6 Jennifer Strohschneider (Germany)     12.506 (57.572km/h)
7 Tomoko Endo (Japan)                   12.517 (57.522km/h)
8 Mu Di (China)                         12.534 (57.444km/h)
9 Mei-Yu Hsiao (Taiwan)                 12.595 (57.166km/h)
10 Anastasia Chulkova (Russia)          12.605 (57.120km/h)
10 Rebecca Borgo (Australia)            12.605 (57.120km/h)
12 Ekaterina Merzlikina (Russia)        12.615 (57.075km/h)
13 Rosanne Chee (New Zealand)           12.718 (56.613km/h)
14 Ma. Fernanda Contreras (Mexico)      13.690 (52.593km/h)

1/8 Final

Heat 1

1 Ekaterina Merzlikina (Russia)         12.822
2 Emilie Jeannot (France)

Heat 2

1 Elisa Frisoni (Italy)                 12.538
 Anastasia Chulkova (Russia)

Heat 3

1 Rebecca Borgo (Australia)             12.625
2 Shi Wenya (China)

Heat 4

1 Lucy Stewart (Australia)              13.279
2 Mei-Yu Hsiao (Taiwan)

Heat 5

1 Rachel Herring (USA)                  12.959
2 Mu Di (China)

Heat 6

1 Jennifer Strohschneider (Germany)     12.784
2 Tomoko Endo (Japan)

1/8 Final Repechage

Repechage Heat 1

1 Emilie Jeannot (France)               12.613
2 Tomoko Endo (Japan)
3 Mei-Yu Hsiao (Taiwan)

Repechage Heat 2

1 Anastasia Chulkova (Russia)           13.097
2 Shi Wenya (China)
3 Mu Di (China)

Quarter Finals

Heat 1 - Race #1

1 Ekaterina Merzlikina (Russia)         12.851
2 Anastasia Chulkova (Russia)

Heat 1 - Race #2

1 Ekaterina Merzlikina (Russia)         13.709
2 Anastasia Chulkova (Russia)

Heat 2 - Race #1

1 Elisa Frisoni (Italy)                 13.075
2 Emilie Jeannot (France)

Heat 2 - Race #2

1 Elisa Frisoni (Italy)                 12.194
2 Emilie Jeannot (France)

Heat 3 - Race #1

1 Jennifer Strohschneider (Germany)     12.723
2 Rebecca Borgo (Australia)

Heat 3 - Race #2
1 Jennifer Strohschneider (Germany)     12.990
2 Rebecca Borgo (Australia)

Heat 4 - Race #1

1 Lucy Stewart (Australia)              12.885
2 Rachel Herring (USA)

Heat 4 - Race #2
1 Rachel Herring (USA)                  12.605
2 Lucy Stewart (Australia)

Heat 4 - Race #3								

1 Rachel Herring (USA)                  12.965
2 Lucy Stewart (Australia)	

Ride off for 9th-12th

9 Tomoko Endo (Japan)                   12.857 (56.001 km/h)
10 Shi Wenya (China)
11 Mu Di (China)
12 Mei-Yu Hsiao (Taiwan)

Ride off for 5th-8th

5 Anastasia Chulkova (Russia)           13.097 (54.974 km/h)
6 Emilie Jeannot (France)
7 Lucy Stewart (Australia)
8 Rebecca Borgo (Australia)

Finals

3rd-4th - Race #1

1 Jennifer Strohschneider (Germany)     12.637 (56.976 km/h)
2 Rachel Herring (USA)

3rd-4th - Race #2
1 Jennifer Strohschneider (Germany)     12.856 (56.005 km/h)
2 Rachel Herring (USA)

Final - Race #1

1 Elisa Frisoni (Italy)                 13.792 (52.204 km/h)
2 Ekaterina Merzlikina (Russia)

Final - Race #2
1 Elisa Frisoni (Italy)                 13.856 (51.963 km/h)
2 Ekaterina Merzlikina (Russia)

Final ranking

1 Elisa Frisoni (Italy)
2 Ekaterina Merzlikina (Russia)
3 Jennifer Strohschneider (Germany)
4 Rachel Herring (USA)
5 Anastasia Chulkova (Russia)
6 Emilie Jeannot (France)
7 Lucy Stewart (Australia)
8 Rebecca Borgo (Australia)
9 Tomoko Endo (Japan)
10 Shi Wenya (China)
11 Mu Di (China)
12 Mei-Yu Hsiao (Taiwan)