World Track Championships - CM

Stuttgart, Germany, July 30 - August 3, 2003

Event program and results

Women's 10 km Scratch Race

Slusareva repeats & takes second gold

By Valkerie Mangnall in Stuttgart

Olga again!
Photo: © Hennes Roth

Russian Olga Slusareva added another gold medal to her women's points race title, winning the 10km scratch race from Australia's Rochelle Gilmore and Adrie Visser of the Netherlands in a scrappy final lap. The 34 year-old sprinted past Gilmore, who found herself boxed in about five riders back before managing to break free and slip through for the silver medal.

Slusareva said: "I changed my tactics. I looked to see who had the strongest nerves and then decided to race from the front."

Gilmore said she knew the Russian would be the one to beat. "Last year I outsprinted her for second and on the road we're always racing each other," Gilmore said. "Going to sleep last night I knew she'd be the one to beat and I think today positioning and experience are what lost it for me. I want to win next year and I'll be thinking about it from this day until the next time."

"The toughest thing was positioning because so many fast girls were there at the finish and I had to work really hard," Gilmore explained. "With a lap to go I was boxed in four or five back but you make the gaps and I just got out to get the silver."

"I felt good and had a lot left at the finish so I want to win next year and I'll be thinking about it from this day until the next time," said Gilmore of her aim to claim gold in Melbourne in May 2004. "Hopefully next year in front of my home crowd it's my year."

Photography

Images by Hennes Roth/www.roth-foto.de

• Madness on the boards in the women's scratch race
• Anke Wichmann leads the field for Germany
• Olga Slusareva takes gold for Russia in the 10km scratch
• The final podium: Adrie Visser (l), Olga Slusareva, Rochelle Gilmore

Images by AFP

• Olga Slusareva (Russia) begins her lap of honour while Rochelle Gilmore (Australia) and Adrie Visser (Netherlands) congratulate each other on their performances.
• Olga Slusareva (Russia) celebrates by completing a lap of honour around the track with the national flag of Russia.
• Adrie Visser (Netherlands) likes the taste of her scratch race bronze medal.
• The podium - Gold medallist Olga Slusareva (Russia) celebrates with her son, with Adrie Visser (Netherlands, L) and Rochelle Gilmore (Australia, R) also looking very content with their efforts.

Results

1 Olga Slusareva (Russia)
2 Rochelle Gilmore (Australia)
3 Adrie Visser (Netherlands)
4 Giorgia Ita Bronzini
5 Ine Bel Wannijn
6 Gema Pascual Torrecilla (Spain)
7 Sarah Nzl Ulmer
8 Yoanka Gonzalez Perez (Cuba)
9 Yanxia Jiang (China)
10 Anke Wichmann (Germany)
11 Juliette Vandekerckhove (France)
12 Belem Guerrero Mendez (Mexico)
13 Evelyn Garcia (El Salvador)
14 Sarah Uhl (USA)
15 Mandy Poitras (Canada)
16 Lada Kozlikova (Czech Republic)
17 Lyudmyla Vypyraylo (Ukraine)
18 Svetlana Ivakhonenkova (Bielorussia)
19 Pernille Jakobsen (Denmark)
DNS Victoria Pendleton (Great Britain)