Australia rule the track on day three

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Australia had another bumper day on the track with a whole host of medals to bring them up to 15 in three days, six more than any other nation.

Annette Edmondson added gold to her silver individual pursuit medal, as she led home an Australian 1-2 in the women’s 10-kilometre scratch race. Her teammate Amy Cure took the silver, in addition to the bronze she claimed on the opening day.

It was a cagey affair from the start, with few riders willing to show their hand. Canada took control early on, setting a pace that made it difficult for anyone to make a break and try to take a lap. The pace was too much for some, who found themselves floundering in the closing laps.

In the end, it was Australia who asserted their control on the front of the pack, putting themselves into perfect position for the final sprint. Nobody could touch Edmondson as she claimed victory, with Cure and Elinor Barker (Wales) rounding out the medal positions. England missed out on a medal, with Dani King finishing in fourth while Laura Trott failed to feature as she battles with a kidney infection.

Continuing the Australian dominance of the games, Anna Meares and Stephanie Morton set up an all Australian final in the sprint. Both took commanding victories in the semi final, forgoing the need for a third and decisive sprint. Jess Varnish (England) and Fatehah Mustapa (Malaysia) will fight it out for the bronze medal.

Meares was expected to dominate the event that she won at the Olympic Games in London, but it was Morton who set the fastest time in qualifying. Morton is also an Olympic medallist, after piloting Felicity Johnson in the one kilometre time trial. She finished second to Meares in the 500-metre time trial, but will be hoping to reverse the order in the final on Sunday evening.

Australia were the inform team yet again in the kilometre time trial. Scott Sunderland knocked almost a second off the Games record that he set in Deli four years ago, to set a time of 1.00.675 and take victory. Bronze medallist in the world championships, Simon van Velthooven (New Zealand) claimed silver with his teammate Matthew Archibald rounding out the podium.

There was a touch of controversy in the men’s points race as two of the Isle of Man’s riders were disqualified for collusion during the race. New Zealand’s Tom Scully and Aaron Gate took away gold and bronze with the Isle of Man’s Peter Kennaugh found himself in a Kiwi sandwich, taking the silver medal.

It was an attacking race from the gun with Glenn O’Shea (Australia) taking a number of riders with him after the first sprint. A flurry of moves followed and there was soon nine men up front. The group worked together and quickly gained a lap. As things progressed, it became clear it would be a fight between the Isle of Man and New Zealand for the medals. The two nations traded laps, with both teams showing signs of collusion. However, it was the Manx that were on the receiving end of the commissaires red flags, leaving Kennaugh to go it alone.

In the end, New Zealand were too strong for the lone rider with Scully finishing on 98 points, 14 points ahead of Kennaugh.

Neil Fachie and Craig MacLean took home Scotland’s second medal of the track programme, with victory in the men’s sprint B tandem. The pair faced off against Australia’s Kieran Modra and Jason Niblett, after beating the Welsh team in the semi-final.

Modra and Niblett drew first blood in race one, going early and forcing Scotland to try and go the long way around. The tactic worked, as Australia edged out Fachie and MacLean, despite a last surge from Scotland. Australia tried a similar approach in the second race, but Scotland were wise to it and had the legs to come past them in the finishing straight and forcing it to a decider. The roof was nearly taken off the building as Fachie and MacLean stormed past Modra and Niblett in the deciding round. The pair lapped up the adulation as they were serenaded by a rendition of I’m gonna be (500 miles) by the Proclaimers on their victory lap.

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