European Track Championships 2006
July 19-23; Athens Olympic Velodrome
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Day 2 of the Womens Sprint (Juniors)
Bronze for Anna...
Junior Women's Sprint Finals
World Junior Silver medallist last year, Anna Blyth, added a bronze medal to her collection tonight with two super confident rides where she defeated Polish rider Renata Dabrowska.
Anna had beaten Dabrowska in the first round and to make sure she was well prepared for her sprint matches with her opponent, she spent the time prior to the race, going over video footage of her own races as well as those of Dabrowska with her National coach Iain Dyer.
Anna then followed that session by warming up on the rollers for a good 20 minutes before putting her race wheels and gear on and getting out on the track for a final effort before the medal ride. Once the preparations were over, it was time to line up against her opponent and give it her best to come away with a medal.
Guess which one is more focused!
Match 1
In the first match, Anna lead off the line for the first half a lap before moving up the track and the Polish rider reluctantly came through as Anna kicked back to a near standstill. Dabrowska then took Anna to the fence as she drew alongside in the home straight only for the British girl to dive under her in the back straight as the pace lifted with the bell approaching.
As Dabrowska attempted to come over the top to enter the home straight, Anna made sure she had the move covered before putting her head down and leading all the way to the finish to go one up in the three match series. There was a break after the first match when the Under 23 women took to the track for their sprint followed by the Junior Women Pursuit finals.
Anna wins Match A
Match 2
During the time between matches, Anna and her Sprint coach talked more about how to tackle the Polish rider and it was Dabrowska who lead away from the start with Anna happy to follow closely behind. The Polish girl though started to wind it up very early and the gap between them started to open up. The gap became almost the whole width of the bend before Anna started her move, admitting later she was starting to panic but doing enough to catch her rival in the home straight and win the bronze medal.
Reactions
Afterwards we spoke to Anna about her competition. "I think it has been good and I have ridden well. I found a strategy that works and made opportunities and although I haven't always taken them, it's easier to take them in the future than not making them in the first place. I just have to make that when I see an opportunity I take the moment and not think about it twice."
"I have learnt more tactics to use on a track like this and I just keeping adding more and more to take into a race. I am now faster, a bit more race savy and do my homework and finish a lot better. I find that the best way to make opportunities is from the back and with a good quick move you can close the race up straight away."
Anna with her medal.
Speaking to her coach at the Olympic Development Programme, Iain Dyer, he explained "we made a special effort to come here early today and review the video footage that Duncan from the EIS had prepared for us and it gave us to crystallise some of the learning points from Anna's rides yesterday and also take a closer look at the opponent we would be facing today. So we went into the race with a very good feel for what she was capable of doing and what her weaknesses were and it merged very well with some of the points that Anna wanted to work on from her rides yesterday."
"I felt today's rides by Anna were a good progression particularly the first ride from where we left off yesterday and that was encouraging to see and be great for Anna's confidence as she goes into the next few days racing."
RESULTS
FINALS
1. SHULIKA Lubov UKR 12.150 12.028
2. CUEFF Virginie FRA
3. BLYTH Anna GBR 12.316 12.810
4. DABROWSKA Renata POL
5-6
5. CLAIR Sandie FRA 12.505 57.576
6. ROZHKOVA Anastasia RUS
7-12
7. MENSA Serena ITA
8. JANOWIAK Marta POL
9. CASAS ROIGE Helena ESP
10. KESSLER Nina NED
11. ROMANYUTA Evgenia RUS
12. AYRES Lucy GBR
SEMI FINALS
1. SHULIKA Lubov UKR 12.468 12.233
2. DABROWSKA Renata POL
1. CUEFF Virginie FRA 12.137 12.066
2. BLYTH Anna GBR 12.241
ROUND 2
1. SHULIKA Lubov UKR 13.496 53.349
2. DABROWSKA Renata POL
1. CUEFF Virginie FRA 12.599 57.147
2. ROZHKOVA Anastasia RUS
1. BLYTH Anna GBR 12.555 57.347
2. CLAIR Sandie FRA
REP
1. DABROWSKA Renata POL 12.352 58.290
2. CLAIR Sandie FRA
3. ROZHKOVA Anastasia RUS
ROUND 1
1. SHULIKA Lubov UKR 12.602 57.133
2. KESSLER Nina NED
3. CASAS ROIGE Helena ESP
1. CUEFF Virginie FRA 12.136 59.327
2. AYRES Lucy GBR
3. MENSA Serena ITA
1. CLAIR Sandie FRA 12.429 57.929
2. ROZHKOVA Anastasia RUS
3. ROMANYUTA Evgenia RUS
1. BLYTH Anna GBR 12.319 58.446
2. DABROWSKA Renata POL
3. JANOWIAK Marta POL
REPS
1. ROZHKOVA Anastasia RUS 13.069 55.092
2. MENSA Serena ITA
3. JANOWIAK Marta POL
4. KESSLER Nina NED
1. DABROWSKA Renata POL 12.628 57.016
2. AYRES Lucy GBR
3. ROMANYUTA Evgenia RUS
4. CASAS ROIGE Helena ESP
QUALIFYING
1. SHULIKA Lubov UKR 11.306 63.683
2. CUEFF Virginie FRA 11.879 60.611
3. CLAIR Sandie FRA 11.885 60.580
4. BLYTH Anna GBR 11.950 60.251
5. DABROWSKA Renata POL 12.012 59.940
6. ROZHKOVA Anastasia RUS 12.175 59.137
7. AYRES Lucy GBR 12.196 59.035
8. CASAS ROIGE Helena ESP 12.457 57.798
9. JANOWIAK Marta POL 12.474 57.720
10. ROMANYUTA Evgenia RUS 12.541 57.411
11. MENSA Serena ITA 12.619 57.056
12. KESSLER Nina NED 12.871 55.939
13. XYNOU Evlampia GRE 12.991 55.422
14. CHRYSOU Efthalia GRE 13.922 51.716
More Photos
Anna gives the Polish something to think about as she attempts to come over the top in match A.
Anna is focused whilst the Polish girl not as such in the same frame of mind.
Match B and Anna watches her opponent go to lead the sprint out.
Match B and Anna gives her a little too much room! "I always thought I would close it up but I must admit I was panicking a bit coming into the last lap where I was like I was not going to lose this."
The Polish girls tries to catch Anna out in Match B.
Match B finish and Anna seals the Bronze medal with a 2:0 win of the final.
Day 1 of the Sprint
Its not even 8 in the morning and Lucy Ayres and Anna Blyth are changing their gears ready for their next warmup effort. Both girls were in the same GB van 10.30pm that night, an example of the long days these athletes have at major championships.
Junior Womens Sprint
The opening day of competition began with the Womens Sprint Qualifying where GB riders Anna Blyth and Lucy Ayres qualified 4th and 7th which meant both were through to the next round. It was an early start for the two young sprinters, with the wake up call coming at 6.15am and at the track for 8 for the 9.30 start.
Prior to taking to the track, the riders warmed up with Anna explaining to us how the use of two toe straps per pedal made her feel a lot more secure in the pedals. After a long progressive warm-up, Lucy was first on the track for her qualifying flying 200 metres where she equalled her personal best. Then, a little later, Anna made her flying effort and in the end, it was good enough for fourth fastest, as well a new national record and personal best.
The women's first round followed later after the Individual Pursuit qualifying for Under 23's and the team were disappointed to learn it was going to be three up rounds. Anna Blyth had two Polish girls in her heat and after splitting them as they wound it up from the start, Anna then made her move in the back straight to come round the Polish rider Renata Dabrowska and win a close sprint to the line.
Close but its Anna's race in the opening round of the Junior Womens Sprint.
Lucy Ayres was not so fortunate, and the French rider, Virginie Ceuff showed Lucy and her other rival a clear pair of heels as the French girl won her heat with ease. This meant that Lucy had to hang around for the repechages. In this, Lucy Ayres had a four up sprint in her heat where she was second and out of the competition for the medals. Anna meanwhile was able to get changed and go back to the hotel to rest up for the second round.
The evening session of the Womens Sprint saw Anna Blyth ride a good race in the second round to make the semi finals where in the first match, she rode a blinder and beat the French girl Cueff. In the next match though, Anna failed to get to the front and was unable to get past the French girl who evened the semi up at one a piece.
Then in the deciding round, again, Anna was unable to get past Crueff in the home straight but it must have been close judging by how long it took for the result to come up on the scoreboard. Anna, disappointed but much the wiser for the experience, now rides for the bronze medal.
Womens Sprint Results
Qualifying
1. Lubov Shulika (Ukr) 11.306
2. V Cueff (Fra) 11.879
3. Sandie Clair (Fra) 11.885
4. Anna Blythe (GB) 11.950 (NR & PB)
7. Lucy Ayres (GB) 12.196
First Round
Heat 2
1. V Cueff (Fra)
2. Lucy Ayres (GB)
3. Serena Mensa (Ita)
Heat 4
1. Anna Blyth (GB) 12.319
2. Renata Dabrowska (Pol)
3. Marta Janowiak (Pol)
Recharge
Heat 2
1. R Dabrowska (Pol)
2. Lucy Ayres (GB)
3. Evgenia Romanyuta (Rus)
4. Helen Casas Roige(Spa)
Round 2
1. Anna Blythe (GB)
2. Sandi Claire (Fra)
Semi Final
1. V Cueff (Fra) 2:1
2. Anna Blyth (GB)
Minor Final
14. Lucy Ayres (GB)
FINAL (competing day 2)
PHOTOS
National Sprint Coach Iain Dyer rolls Lucy Ayres up to the start of the repechage.
Lucy Ayres winding it up for the qualifying run in the Junior Womens Sprint.
Lucy Ayres going for it and on her way to 7th place in qualifying for the Junior Womens Sprint.
Anna Blyth during her qualifying run where she was fourth fastest.
The Ukraine girl, Lubov, who was clearly quicker than everyone and is through to the final for Gold and Silver.
The French girl gets the jump on Lucy Ayres during the round 1 heat, sending Lucy to the repechage to try and stay in the competition.
Anna Blyth jumps past her Polish rival in her round 1 heat.
Above and below, pictures from the repechage where Lucy Ayres finished second and out of the competition for medals.
