Leonard and McCulloch win men's and women's time trials

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Sydney's Kaarle McCulloch set a 500m time trial Championship record and personal best time to win her fourth gold medal of the week at the Australian Track Championships at Adelaide's Super-Drome.

The 22-year-old posted a time of 34.208 seconds to clip three tenths of a second off the previous mark of 34.542 set by Anna Meares at the Championships in 2007. The time also shaved three hundredths of a second of McCulloch's personal best. It's the second Championship record for McCulloch who qualified fastest in the sprint in a record time over the flying 200m distance. McCulloch also leaves Adelaide with the sprint, Keirin and team sprint titles.

"Considering I trained yesterday as well I've had seven days straight on the track and my legs were a little tired this morning so to come out and do a personal best and a Championship record is very satisfying," said McCulloch, who returned last week from Beijing where she competed in the final round of the World Cup series. "I was a bit surprised actually as I wasn't expecting too much out of my legs based on my form in Beijing so to come out and do PB's in both timed events has really given me confidence."

In the men's kilometre time trial Victorian Joel Leonard was the only rider to crack the 1:03 barrier posting a time of 1:02.900 to win the gold medal. South Australia's James Glasspool claimed silver in 1:03.488 and Woollongong's Scott Law, who last night won the scratch race, clocked 1:04.246 to finish in third place.

"I was looking to do a good time somewhere in the 1.02's and I did a high 1.02 but it got me a gold medal," said Leonard who won the same event in 2008. "I had a reasonable year this year but to step up after a few injuries and come home with the title is great.

"It's also nice to come out and win today after missing a medal last night in a reasonably rough Keirin."

The omnium competition, in which riders must contest five events for the medal, delivered some exciting action in the final day of competition.

Hepburn conquers Bobridge in tight omnium battle

First year senior rider, Michael Hepburn, upstaged local hero Jack Bobridge to win the men's omnium by a one point margin. Hepburn won the 5km scratch race and 3km pursuit and was second in the 15km points race. He was third in both the flying 200m and kilometre time trial to finish on 10 points. Bobridge meantime won the points race and was second in every other event except the flying 200m where he placed fourth.

"I'm over the moon with this win," said Hepburn. I've been feeling a little flat the last couple of weeks and I sat out the scratch race last night to focus on this omnium."

The pair were neck-and-neck when 20-year-old Bobridge clocked a world class 3:16.681 in the pursuit only to see Hepburn, 18, come out and better it with a sizzling time of 3:16.435. Hepburn's pursuit time was close to his personal best of 3:15.586, which, up until this week was the under 19 3000m World Record mark. (Dale Parker set a new mark in Tuesday's U19 pursuit qualifying round.)

"And that's after three events in the omnium so I'm really happy," said Hepburn, whose time was a response to the mark set by Bobridge. "He was on a schedule just above what he thought I might do and when I saw his time I thought I'd have to settle for second in the pursuit round but when I saw my 2km split I realised I was on a good ride and I went for the time."

The points race proved the decider for the event and Bobridge went all out to try and crack Hepburn, the 2009 junior pursuit World Champion. But Hepburn had already locked his sights on the gold medal and wasn't giving it up.

"I knew I then had to mark him in the points and make sure I finished either in front or right behind him and it came down to the last sprint to decide it," said Hepburn who after only two months out of junior ranks has already claimed the under 23 Australian Road Race Title and now the elite men's omnium on the track.

The bronze medal was won by Woollongong rider Scott Law who finished on 18 points.

In the women's omnium riders contested five events (500m time trial,
flying 200m time trial, 5km scratch race, 2000m pursuit and 10km points race) and it was Sydney's Ashlee Ankudinoff who ended the marathon effort with the lowest cumulative points total. She finished on 11 points to defeat reigning World Champion Josephine Tomic from West Australia who amassed 14 points. Ankudinoff won the 200m, 500m and pursuit and was second in the scratch race. She dropped to sixth in the points race but her lead was enough to secure the gold medal.

WA's Sarah Kent claimed the bronze medal with 19 points.

"I went into the points race knowing I had to finish no more than four places behind Josie to secure it and my plan was just to stick with her," said Ankudinoff who was the silver medallist in 2009. "She went in an early break and I had to close it but doing the 2:22 in the pursuit set me up with a buffer which was good.

"Josie's been in really good form and last year it was a real battle between us and we were really close so to come away with the win and beat a World Champion this year is really good."

Under 19 rider Maddison Hammond added a fourth gold medal to his Championship haul with a win in the junior kilometre time trial final. The youngster had already collected wins in the sprint, keirin and team sprint.

"The kilo result is unbelieveable," said Hammond who has been leading the Victorian medal charge. "I was focussed on the start so much and getting out of the gate as cleanly as I could and then everything just worked out so well and I had enough for the last lap so a great result."

Hammond then rode on through the omnium to claim a silver medal and along with it the title of Champion of Champions which is awarded to the rider who amasses the most points in individual events during the week. Hammond's three individual gold medals (sprint, keirin and kiometre time trial) along with his silver medal in the omnium gave him the crown. The teenager was also a member of the under 19 team sprint gold medal squad for Victoria.

Dale Parker pipped Hammond in the final round of the under 19 men's omnium to claim the title with 14 points, one less than Hammond. Brent Nelson of Victoria was third with 20 points.

West Australian Holly Williams won the under 19 women's 500m time trial gold in a time of 36.646 seconds. She was the only finalist to clock a time under 37 seconds, with Adele Sylvester from Victoria posting the silver medal time of 37.100. Canberra's Catherine Culvenor was third fastest in 37.428sec.

The under 19 women's omnium title was won by Isabella King from West Australia in a dominant display that saw her win four of the five events to finish with seven points. Amy Cure from Tasmania was second with 14 points and the bronze medal went to Victorian Adele Sylvester who finished with 20 points.