29-year-old Welsh rider Anna Morris is on a world record roll smashing her own time in the women’s 4000-metre Individual Pursuit with a new time of 4:24.060 at the Lloyds British National Track Championships held at the National Cycling Centre in Manchester on Saturday.
“The motivation was really high, especially on my home track in front of a home crowd. I am feeling it a bit after racing at Euros, so I wasn’t sure how much I had left in me, but the crowd definitely carried me in those last four laps," said Morris, who is now the World, European and British Champion in the Individual Pursuit.
“I was just trying to keep my head down in that last kilometre, trying to keep pedalling as much as I could, they felt like they were giving up, but I could hear the crowd, so I just tried to hold on."
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The distance of the women’s Individual Pursuit was increased from 3000m to 4000m this year, making it the same as the men's event.
New Zealand’s Bryony Botha clocked 4:30.752 at the Oceania Championships at the Anna Meares Velodrome in Chandler, Queensland, Australia, but Morris smashed that at the European Championships in Heusden-Zolder, Belgium. Both events were held in early February.
Morris' winning performance the Individual Pursuit title at the European Championships, saw her break the world record twice, setting a time of 4:28.306 in the qualifying round and then another new world record time of 4:25.874 in the final.
At the British Track Championships this weekend, Morris had already won the Scratch Race title ahead of Katie Archibald and Erin Boothman (Toufati Everyone Active).
She then went on to win the Individual Pursuit title, making the catch on silver medallist Izzy Sharp (Lidl-Trek) just after the halfway mark, and then breaking her own world record in a time of 4:24.060. Grace Lister (Hess Cycle Team) captured the bronze medal.
“So far, the 4km has gone pretty well for me. I think we’ll see that record keep coming down this year. There are a few other people who I am sure will be chasing after it this year. But I am really happy to have got the time here, in front of the whole team who have got me in a position to ride like this," Morris said.
She had already shown her Individual Pursuit strengths when she won the world title in the 3000-metre event, beating Chloé Dygert at the Ballerup Super Arena outside Copenhagen, Denmark last October.
“It is so special to have the opportunity to be riding in the rainbows. I just want to maximise that opportunity as best as I can. Euros and here will perhaps be the only opportunity I will get to ride in it this year, so I am pleased with how it has gone," Morris said.
“I often feel like I am living someone else’s life sometimes, it is quite surreal. But I am very grateful for all the opportunities I have had.”
