World Track Championships - CM

Melbourne, Australia, May 26-30, 2004

Event program and results    Repechages & Finals

Women's Keirin first round - May 27, 2004

China, USA qualify strongly

The opening round of the Women's Keirin saw the winner and second placed rider in each of the two heats straight through to the night final, with the unplaced riders having a chance to qualify through a repechage round later in the day.

Strong Chinese rider Shuang Guo took control of the opening heat, leading out a lap and a half from home and taking the win by half a length. The battle for the second qualifying spot was extremely tight, with the photo finish confirming that Italian rider Elisa Frisoni had held off a late charge from both Oxana Grishina (Russia) and Katrin Meinke (Germany).

French rider Clara Sanchez took up postion behind the derny in the second heat, with Australia's Rosealee Hubbard well positioned in second wheel. Once the derny swung off, however, Hubbard was swamped, with Jennie Reed (USA) powering home for the win, ahead of Sanchez.

"It was definitely the harder of the two heats," Reed said afterwards, explaining her win. "In the final, anything can happen, but I want to win."

Results

Heat 1
 
1 Shuang Guo (China)
2 Elisa Frisoni (Italy)
3 Oxana Grishina (Russia)
4 Katrin Meinke (Germany)
5 Maya Tachikawa (Japan)
6 Simona Krupeckaite (Lithuania)
  
Heat 2
 
1 Jennie Reed (USA)
2 Clara Sanchez (France)
3 Diana Garcia Orrego (Colombia)
4 Susan Panzer (Germany)
5 Rosealee Hubbard (Australia)
6 Anastasia Tchulkova (Russia)