Melbourne (Australia) Commonwealth Games
March 18, 2006 | British Cycling's Larry Hickmott reports
Women's Sprint
Above: Victoria in an Aussie sandwich as the women sprinters show off their medals to the waiting photographers.
Morning session
It was a record breaking start for World Champion Victoria Pendleton (right) who broke the Commonwealth Games record for the sprint in qualifying with 11.275s, almost half a second quicker than second fastest, Anna Meares and Kerrie Mears who were within two hundredths of each other. Also a starter was Points Bronze medallist Kate Cullen who was 6th fastest.
Speaking to Victoria afterwards about breaking the Commonwealth Games record, she said "I'm very happy. I didn't think I was going to go that fast and that was a personal best for me by a tenth. I was thinking I'd do a '4' based on training so wo ho!"
After a short break, Victoria came back out on the track to meet Kate Cullen and with a difference of seven tenths between, Victoria went through to the next round beating Cullen who was relegated to riding the repechage later whilst Victoria was able to relax and go back to the village. In the Repechage, Kate Cullen put up a brave fight but went out.
Kate Cullen (left) bowed out at the repechage stage
Semi Finals
Victoria Pendleton made serene progress to the Finals of the sprint breezing past New Zealander Williams in straight rides - Williams was happy to acknowledge the superiority of her opponent with a raise of her hand as they crossed the line.
Anna Meares, the younger of the sisters won her semi against Kerrie in two rides. The second heat looked like getting physical as they jockeyed for position in the opening lap before Kerrie touched the fence whilst attempting a track stand, forcing a re-start. But the re-run was an anti-climax with Anna coming round the outside to win with ease.
Above: Anna Mears wasn't going to let Victoria get past her without a fight and takes the England girl to show her the fence ...
Finals
In the bronze medal contest, Kerrie Meres beat Willaims in 2 rides, leaving the huge veloedrome crowd to enjoy a pulsating gold medal final.
In Heat 1 of Anna Meares verses Victoria Pendleton it was the English rider who scored the important first win with a perfect tactical ride, diving under her opponent with 750m to go and blasting clear and forcing Meares to chase her down, which she just failed to do, Pendleton taking it by a half a wheel.
Meares won the second heat from the front. She went to the front with a lap to go and was able to hold off Pendleton who gave it everything. The two collided twice, once in the last corner and also as they crossed the line when Victoria got hooked up under Anna's elbow, perhaps costing her the heat. Whatever, it was great stuff to watch and set up a wonderful final heat.
Before the final heat, Shane Sutton could be seen giving Victoria an intense pep-talk. Whatever he said it worked because Victoria wrapped up the gold medal with a very decisive ride. She came round the outside of Meares with awesome speed in the last corner to claim Endland's first ever medal in the women's sprint competition at the Commonwealths. In that final heat she was visibly the quicker rider in a contest which arguably featured the world's top two sprinters. Hopefully they'll keep on putting on shows like this for years to come because it was breathtaking stuff.
Above: Meares and Pendleton use all the track as they throw the odd dummy move to try and fool their opponent.
Above: Victoria comes around her Australian rival to clinch the Gold in a photo finish.
Above: Victoria flys the flag for England after her Golden performance on the track.
Speaking to Victoria after she was presented with her Gold medal, she told us "I am very very happy. I didn't think I was going to get it to be honest. I think after the second ride I thought I'd messed it up but it was so close that ride, I was surprised to have pulled it back.
After being dropped in at the deep end in 2002, I'm really pleased with having turned it around a lot in four years."
Talking about her rival in the final Anna Meares, Victoria said "she's very good tactically and physically so I kind of expected it. I found out the hard way in the Commonwealth Games of 2002 so I know what to expect in sprinting these days. I just have to take it on the chin and move on. This is my main event and because it's an Olympic event it was my main focus. The sprint is a gamble, it's always very close so I feel great about the win, said Pendleton. It was tough but you just have to block it out and focus."
The Meares sisters go elbow to elbow for the right to go for Gold.
Results
Qualifying
1 Victoria Pendleton (England) 11.275 (63.858km/h)
2 Anna Meares (Australia) 11.700 (61.538km/h)
3 Kerrie Meares (Australia) 11.725 (61.407km/h)
4 Elisabeth Williams (New Zealand) 11.781 (61.115km/h)
5 Fiona Carswell (New Zealand) 11.824 (60.893km/h)
6 Kate Cullen (Scotland) 11.925 (60.377km/h)
1/8 Finals
Heat 1
Victoria Pendleton (England) beat Kate Cullen (Scotland)
Victoria takes the high road against Kate Cullen early in the competition
Heat 2
Anna Meares (Australia) beat Fiona Carswell (New Zealand)
Heat 3
Kerrie Meares (Australia) beat Elisabeth Williams (New Zealand)
Repechage
1 Elisabeth Williams (New Zealand) 12.303 (58.522km/h)
2 Fiona Carswell (New Zealand)
3 Kate Cullen (Scotland)
5th-6th final
Fiona Carswell (New Zealand) beat Kate Cullen (Scotland)
Semifinals
Heat 1
Victoria Pendleton (England) beat Elisabeth Williams (New Zealand) 2 - 0
Heat 2
Anna Meares (Australia) beat Kerrie Meares (Australia) 2 - 0
Final for bronze
Kerrie Meares (Australia) beat Elisabeth Williams (New Zealand) 2 - 0
Final for gold
Victoria Pendleton (England) beat Anna Meares (Australia) 2 - 1
Round 1
1 Victoria Pendleton (England) 11.822 (60.903km/h)
2 Anna Meares (Australia)
Round 2
1 Anna Meares (Australia) 12.001 (59.995km/h)
2 Victoria Pendleton (England)
Round 3
1 Victoria Pendleton (England) 12.216 (58.939km/h)
2 Anna Meares (Australia)