Australian/Oceania Track Titles - CN

Sydney, Australia, April 30 - May 4, 2003

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Day 5 wrap-up

Teenagers take the spoils in Australian track championships

By Gerard Knapp

The next generation of Australia's track riders were the dominant force as the final day of the Australian Track Cycling Championships at Sydney's Dunc Gray Velodrome wound up on Sunday. The leading male and female riders are still in their teens and first years of senior competition, but the young riders showed speed and maturity beyond their years to capitalise on the absence of professional riders competing in Europe.

At the same time, the nationals were crucial for selection to the world championships team most of the young riders will be heading overseas later this year for the world titles. The stand-out performances were by Queenslander Anna Meares, 19, who took home four gold medals and Victorian Mark French, 18, with three golds.

French also took home the Champion of Champion's award, as the overall event point score for the trophy is based on individual events, a ruling that tends to favour the sprinters. "I certainly didn't expect back-to-back trophies," French said, who won the trophy for the second year in a row. He won gold in the flying 200m, inaugural standing 250m time trial and the keirin on the final night, as well as silver in the sprint.

Only one point behind on the overall event point score was the younger Meares sister, Anna, who won the 500 metre time trial, flying 200m time trial and team sprint, which she won with her sister Kerrie and Alexandra Bright to give Queensland the gold. Anna also won a bronze medal in the sprint and posted a personal best time in winning the 500 metre event.

The other major award announced at the end of the Championships also went to a teenager. Queenslander Wade Cosgrove won the George Adams Trophy for Ride of the Series after his stunning come-from-behind win in the men's 15km scratch race on the same night that he also celebrated his 19th birthday (see report).

The efforts of the young riders will generate benefits for the entire squad as it will result in additional places for Australian riders at the world championships. A Cycling Australia spokesperson said the Oceania Continental Championships were contested in conjunction with the Australian Championships, and the host nation - through the State representative riders - won every gold medal on offer, shutting out New Zealand and New Caledonia, who both sent teams.

In the case of the senior competition, the Oceania championships will guarantee extra places at the World Championships in selected individual events.

In terms of interstate rivalry among the Australians, the Victorians secured the Robina Joy Trophy for winning State based on points awarded for the top four positions in each, ahead of arch-rivals NSW. Victoria also claimed the Norm Gailey Trophy as the state to amass the most points across both national road and track competition.

Dramatic start, brilliant finish

Ouch!
Photo © Mark Gunter

The final day got off to a dramatic start, as in a qualifying heat of the keirin, Wade Bootes crashed heavily on his debut in the event and has a suspected broken collarbone. It was an eventful national track titles for one of the world's leading BMX and MTB riders, who had won a gold medal the previous evening in the team sprint- see full report.

The final senior event of the night saw Tasmanian rider, Darren Young, take out the men's 40km points race in a brilliant display of team riding with fellow Tasmanians Stephen Rossendell and pursuit champion Mark Jamieson. The 18 year-old Jamieson put on breath-taking lead-outs to set up his senior rider for many of the intermediate sprints.

"The guy's a freak," Young said of his teenage teammate. "He hits out at four (laps) to go and I can only just get him at the line. There aren't many guys that can do that. But as long as he does it when he's on my team it's alright."

Medal presentation

• Mark French (Vic) had a successful national titles and won the Champion of Champions trophy.
• The legs behind the man behind the medals - one of "Frenchie's" pistons.

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