Australian women's team pursuit squad.(Image credit: Guy Swarbrick)
Annette Edmondson, Ashlee Ankudinoff, Amy Cure and Melissa Hoskins celebrate winning the team pursuit in world record time(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
The Australian women's team pursuiters set a new world record en route to the gold medal at the UCI Track World Championships in Paris, France today.
The team of Annette Edmondson, Ashlee Ankudinoff, Amy Cure and Melissa Hoskins set a time of 4:13.683 to beat Great Britain in the gold medal final.
"It's still a bit surreal. I just can't believe it," said Cure, who was the points world champion last year. "We've been training so well together as a group. I think this last year we've really been focusing on ourselves more and I think that really showed today. We all went out there, backed ourselves and each other.
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"Sutto (Gary Sutton) really knew us out there. We did exactly what we planned to do, stuck by the schedule and came home with the goods."
Having forgone the defence of her world title, Cure added that team win justified her decision.
"It's a pretty emotional feeling and definitely makes up for it. It was a sacrifice I was willing to make. It's such a high when things all pan out its awesome."
The last time Ankudinoff rode the team pursuit at the world championships was the last time Australia won the event in 2010 and the 24-year-old expressed her delight at making a winning return.
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"I'm a bit speechless. I definitely forgot what it was like to win a world championship," said Ankudinoff. "To do it here today with three of my best mates is a really special moment.
"We've had a few kicks in the guts along the way with always being bridesmaids to Great Britain. We've put in the hard work together and not just win the gold medal but to do it in world record style is pretty cool."
Having both claimed numerous silver medals at the world championships, victory was the first senior rainbow jersey for both Edmondson and Hoskins.
The British team with Laura Trott, Katie Archibald, Elinor Barker and Joanna Rowsell almost went under their own 4:16.552 world record, set in 2013, but a 4:16.702 was not nearly enough to keep up with the flying Aussies.
In the bronze medal final, Canadians Allison Beveridge, Jasmin Glaesser, Kirsti Lay and Steph Roorda topped New Zealand with a time of 4:17.864.
