Great Britain’s Anna Morris won the women's European individual pursuit title in Belgium on Saturday, breaking the world record twice for the new 4000 metre women's race.
The 29-year-old Welsh rider set a new record of 4:28.306 in the qualifying ride and bettered that in the final as she beat Italy’s Vittoria Guazzini by seven seconds in a new world record time of 4:25.874.
The distance of the women’s individual pursuit has been increased from 3000m to 4000m this year, making it the same as the men. New Zealand’s Bryony Botha clocked 4:30.752 at the Oceania Championships earlier this week but Morris smashed that.
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In the final Morris had an excellent start and soon built a 0.7 second lead on Guazzini. She then settled into a blistering 57km pace and was up on her earlier world record pace in the final kilometre. She stopped the clock in a new world record time of 4:25.874.
“The final was really tough,” Morris said after pulling on the distinctive white and blue European champions' jersey.
"It’s the first time for us going the 4km for the women’s race, so to back it up twice in a day was going to be tough. I just tried to dig really deep, and to be able to see Vittoria Guazzini in the same straight really helped me towards the end of the race.
"It’s the first time I’ve won a European title as an individual. We won the team pursuit in 2023, so to come as an individual is really special, and the world record is super special.
Norris was working as junior doctor until three years ago but showed her pursuit skills by beating Chloé Dygert to win the world title last October. Now she has confirmed her talents over 4000 metres.
“Someone told me that my world record was the first world record to be achieved on this track, so I think this track will always be really special to me."
