Australian track cycling team captures 11th, 12th gold medals
Australia took two of the final three gold medals in track cycling on the fourth and final day of the event at the 2010 New Delhi Commonwealth Games. The 11th and 12th Australian
gold medals were won by Cameron Meyer in the men’s scratch race and by a three-man team made up of Daniel Ellis, Jason Niblett and Scott Sunderland in the team sprint. In total Australia won 12 golds in 14 track cycling events.
The first of three events on the final day was the women’s three kilometre individual pursuit. Alison Shanks won the second non-Australia gold medal for New Zealand, ahead of Northern Ireland’s Wendy Houvenaghel.
The bronze medal race was won by Canada’s Tara Alice Whitten ahead of Shanks’ countrywoman Jaime Nielsen.
"I was pleased with my time, but who cares, it's all about the gold medal," said Shanks.
Australia’s 11th gold medal was won in the team sprint. While the New Zealand team of Eddie Dawkins, Ethan Mitchell and Sam Webster set a new national record in the gold medal final despite
Webster crashing at the start of the race, the Australian team set a new Commonwealth Games record of 43.722 seconds and took the gold medal. It was Sunderland’s second gold after winning the 1km sprint. The bronze medal race was won by the Malaysian team
led by Josiah Ng, ahead of Scotland in fourth.
The 14th and final track cycling event was the 12th gold medal for Australia. Cameron Meyer, reigning world champion in points racing, took the gold in the 40km men’s points race
on day two and again in the team pursuit on day three. Australia took a one-two victory in the men’s scratch race, Meyer winning his third gold ahead of his countryman Michael Freiburg. Zach Bell of Canada won the bronze medal.
''I've got to keep up with Anna Meares. “She goes to every championships and wins lots of gold and she's a great inspiration,” said Meyer. “Luckily enough I've had a great 2010 season so hopefully I can
take some big confidence from this and the next championships, hopefully I can do the same.''
Cameron Meyer and Anna Meares won half a dozen gold medals between them, half of the Australian tally. Meares won the women’s time-trial on day one and qualified fastest with Kaarle McCulloch in the women’s
team sprint with a time of 34.115 seconds on day two. Jenny Davis and Charline Joiner of Scotland were unable to overcome the Australian duo in the gold medal race and Becky James of New Zealand couldn’t catch Meares in the women’s individual sprint on day
three.
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