2010 Commonwealth Games - Delhi

TUESDAY 5 OCTOBER

Wales' Becky James, on her way to Bronze in the 500m TT (Image: John Giles/Press Association)

KILO TIME TRIAL

Scott Sunderland of Australia took the Kilo Time Trial with a massive p.b. and new Games record. Going off last, he produced the fastest first lap and held his speed right to the line to win by over a second from Mohd Rizal Tisin of Malaysia.

Eighteen year old Callum Skinner of Scotland got the crowd going with a very quick, sub-19, opening lap, but died towards the end of his ride and ended up with 1 minute, 5.095 seconds. Another youbg rider to make an impression was South African 18 year old Pierre Bernard Esterhuizen who recorded an excellent 1:04.421. But it was New Zealander Myron Simpson who set the early pace with a well-judged 1:03.449.

It was the 2009 World Championships silver medalist Mohd Rizal Tisin of Malaysia who eventually unseated him with a 62.7 second ride. With only two riders to go, the Malaysian was guaranteed a medal. Dorkins of New Zealand got close to beating him, pushing a massiv gear, but slipped off the pace in the last half lap.

Australia's Scott Sunderland put in a blistering 18.321 opening lap, much the quickest first circuit. He was over 1.5 seconds up with a lap to go and it was all down to whether he could hold on to his form for that last 250 metres. He hit some of the marker sandbags in the last lap, suggesting fatigue, but drove on powerfully to the line to take the gold with a new Commonwealth Games record (previously held by Chris Hoy with 1.01.7) of 1:01.411.

1. Scott Sunderland (Australia) 1.01.411 (new Games record)
2. Mohd Rizal Tisin(Malaysia) 1:02.768
3. Edward Dorkins (New Zealand) 1.02.777
4. Myron Simpson (New Zealand) 1:03.449
5. Travis Smith (Canada) 1:03.656
6. Pierre Bernard Esterhuizen (South Africa) 1:04.421
7. Mark Ryan (New Zealand) 1:04.521
8. Callum Skinner (Scotland) 1:05.095
9. Bikram Singh (India) 1:07.911
10. Philip Lavery (Northern Ireland) 1:08.985
11. Rakesh Kumar (India) 1:09.229
12. Prince Hylem (India) 1:09.977
13. Adam Armstrong (Northern Ireland) 1:11.659

WOMEN'S 500M TIME TRIAL

The first gold medal of the cycling competition at the Commonwealth Games went to Anna Meares of Australia who took the 500m Time Trial by over a second from team-mate Kaarle McCulloch. Becky James opened the home nations' account with a bronze medal, taking Wales' first medal in this particular event.

England's Anna Blyth was the early leader, putting in a very decent time of 36.807 seconds. However, former world Pursuit Champion Alison Shanks pushed her off the top spot, opening the way for the real specialists in the discipline. Jenny Davis of Scotland, a former Judo competitor, was something of a surprise package, recording 36.416, well inside the 37.160 she recorded at the recent national championships and leading for a time.

Becky James of Wales was the first rider to record under 20 seconds for the first lap and went on to 35.236 seconds, a new personal best, beating her 35.254 set at the recent national championships. It was an impressive and technically neat ride.

However, the Australian duo of Kaarle McCulloch with 34.780 and then Anna Meares with 33.758 took their predicted one-two. Meares' time was a new Games record.

Rider Reaction

Speaking to the BBC after the race, Becky James said "I wasn't sure if I would get a medal or not but to get a bronze medal in my first Commonwealth Games is a dream. To go out and do that here - I'm so happy I can't put it into words!"

PA reported that the 18-year-old from Abergavenny was thrilled with her first senior international medal: "I can't even explain how happy I am - I'm absolutely over the moon. ! wasn't even sure if I was going to get a medal or not. To get a bronze medal in my first Commonwealth Games is unbelievable. The Aussie girls are always so strong and to be honest I didn't expect to beat them. But to come and get a bronze medal here I can't even put it into words - I'm so happy."

James won two world junior titles - in the sprint and keirin - in Moscow last year and is now making an impact on the senior stage. James has now three times clocked 35.2secs, but she had hoped to go slightly quicker. "I'm kind of stuck on it," she said. "I was really hoping to do a 34.9 but I'm really happy with my performance. I tried something new here working a smaller gear, it seemed to work out all right."

Anna Meares was delighted with the win: "It was tough out there but I was happy with my ride. It's very special, especially after what I went through before the Beijing Games (a career-threatening Keirin crash). It's a wonderful feeling."

1. Anna Meares (Australia) 33.758 (new Games record)
2. Kaarle McCulloch (Australia) 34.780
3. Becky James (Wales) 35.236
4. Monique Sullivan (Canada) 36.238
5. Jenny Davies (Scotland) 36.416
6. Alison Shanks (New Zealand) 36.565
7. Anna Blyth (England) 36.807
8. Charlene Joiner (Scotland) 37.539
9. Wendy Houvenaghel (Northern Ireland) 38.289
10. Mahitha Mohan (India) 38.788
11. Ch. Rameshwori Devi (India) 38.913
12. Heather Wilson (Northern Ireland) 40.189
13. Rejani Vijaya Kumari(India) 40.439

MEN'S INDIVIDUAL PURSUITMedal Finals:

Finals: The Gold medal contest looked to favour Jack Bobridge on paper - the Aussie having gone 2 seconds faster in qualifying. However, Jesse Sergent went into an early lead. Bobridge wasn't fazed and quickly re-asserted himself and was 1.3 seconds up at the half-way (2000m) point.

Sergent responded brilliantly as he pegged Bobridge back to 1.1 seconds at 3000m and the New Zealander had it under a second going into the last three laps. In one of the most exciting Pursuits of recent years, the gap kept coming down a tenth at a time and both riders were sprinting throughout their last lap, with Bobridge just holding on to win by three tenths of a second.

In the Bronze medal ride-off Michael Hepburn put in a very fast first few laps and that seemed to demoralize his New Zealand opponent, Sam Bewley, who simply couldn't find an answer and was caught at the 3 minutes 45 seconds point.

Silver & Gold Final
Jack Bobridge (Australia) 4.17.495
beat
Jesse Sergent (New Zealand) 4:17.8

Bronze Final
Michael Hepburn (Australia)
caught
Sam Bewley (New Zealand)

Qualifying: Australia's Jack Bobridge produced the fifth fastest Men's Individual Pursuit of all time as he qualified fastest in the Commonwealth Games' opening cycling event with 4minutes 14.845 seconds. In the process he smashed Brad McGee's old Games record of 4:16.358. New Zealander Jesse Sargent will be Bobridge's opponent in the final after posting 4:16.751.

The Bronze medal final will also see an Ausralia verses New Zealand match-up, with Michael Hepburn set to take on Sam Bewley, in what should be a very close race, with the two riders posting almost identical times.

1. Jack Bobridge (Australia) 4.14.845 (new Games record)
2. Jesse Sergent (New Zealand) 4:16.751
3. Michael Hepburn (Australia) 4.19.598
4. Sam Bewley (New Zealand) 4:19.612
5. Peter Latham 4.25.534 (New Zealand)
6. Martyn Irvine (Northern Ireland) 4:28.803
7. Sam Harrison (Wales) 4:33.341
8. George Atkins (England) 4.34.490
9. Mark Christian (Isle of Man) 4.35.052