Gold Rush for GB on Day One
Track Day 1
7 Sept 2008, Laoshan Velodrome, Beijing, China
Report: Eddie Allen
Event Schedule:
Men's Individual Pursuit (CP 3)
Men's Individual Pursuit (CP 4)
Men's Ind. Pursuit (B&VI 1-3)
Men's 1km Time Trial (LC 3-4)
Women's 1km Time Trial (B&VI 1-3)
Men's Individual Pursuit (CP3)
Kenny Wins Gold and Breaks World Record
An incredible start for the GB team with Darren Kenny, pulverising his own CP3 Individual Pursuit world record. Kenny qualified for the final a full 22 seconds ahead of this nearest rival, Yong Sik Jin from Korea. Kenny's time is also a full 6 seconds inside his own previous world record, set back in Alkmar in 2005. Kenny's time of 3:36.875 would have also qualified the Dorset-based rider 1st in CP4 category. Kenny was 8 seconds ahead of Korean Jin after the end of the first 1km, and just kept on piling on the power, with two stunning 1:11 kilometres. Speaking to the BBC after his blistering qualifier, Darren said: "Crowds were amazing and a super fast track. I have also got great form at the moment with all the hard work Gary my coach and I have done. See what happens this afternoon."
Above: Kenny catches Yong Sik Jin on his way to Gold (Photo credit: Julien Behal/PA Wire)
And Darren wasn't kidding. The final came and Kenny followed up on his storming qualifier by giving a pursuiting masterclass to his opponent Yong-Sik Jin, putting twenty seconds into his rival in the first 1km and achieving the catch. Another stunning performance from Kenny, winning back to back Golds in the discipline. The gulf between Kenny and his rivals was emphatically demonstrated by the flying Wiltshireman achieving the catch within the first 1km in both qualifying and the final.
I caught up with Darren after the final: "Things went perfectly - went a bit too fast in the morning's qualifying session - found it hard to back off and keep on schedule. After the morning's ride it was just about riding for the Gold in the final. Disappointed that Javier Ochoa was disqualified in qualifying - would have like to have ridden against him in the final."
Results - Qualifying (Top four through to finals)
1 KENNY Darren CP3 GBR 3:36.875 (WR)
2 JIN Yong-Sik CP3 KOR 3:58.817
3 QUEVILLON Jean CP3 CAN 4:03.730
4 ECKHARD Maurice Far CP3 ESP 4:09.119
5 KVASNICKA Tomas CP3 CZE 4:11.715
6 LOPEZ Rodrigo CP3 ARG
7 McDOUGALL Brayden CP3 CAN 4:15.006
DSQ OCHOA Javier CP3 ESP DSQ
Results - Final
Gold
1 KENNY Darren CP3 GBR
2 JIN Yong-Sik CP3 KOR
Bronze
1 QUEVILLON Jean CP3 CAN 4:03.277
2 ECKHARD Maurice Far CP3 ESP 4:08.430
Men's Individual Pursuit (CP4)
Gold for Australia's Christopher Scott
No GB riders were present in the CP4 Individual Pursuit, with Ishii of Japan qualifying fastest, less than a second ahead of Australia's Christopher Scott. However, the Japanese rider was pipped to the Gold by Scott in the final, losing out by just 1/10th of a second, with Spanish Rider Cesar Neira taking bronze ahead of Czech rider Jiri Bouska.
Results - Final
Gold
1 SCOTT Christopher CP4 AUS 3:40.144
2 ISHII Masashi CP4 JPN 3:40.157
Bronze
1 NEIRA Cesar CP4 ESP 3:45.753
2 BOUSKA Jiri CP4 CZE 3:48.912
Results - Qualifying (Top 4 through to finals)
1 ISHII Masashi CP4 JPN 3:37.848
2 SCOTT Christopher CP4 AUS 3:38.205
3 BOUSKA Jiri CP4 CZE 3:45.269
4 NEIRA Cesar CP4 ESP 3:45.322
5 LUNGERSHAUSEN Klaus CP4 GER 3:52.561
6 JIRKA Lubos CP4 CZE 3:53.566
7 SMYTH Enda CP4 IRL 3:55.919
8 PLEKKER Janos CP4 RSA 3:55.933
9 FARRELL Michael CP4 USA 4:04.606
Men's Individual Pursuit (B/VI)
Again, no GB representation in the Blind and Visually impaired category of this event, which saw the Australian pairing of Keiran Modra and Tyson Lawrence break the world record in qualifying with a 4:18.961, pipping their own previous world record, set in Bordeaux last year, by 2 seconds. Modra and Lawrence went on to break their own record again in the final, shaving another 8 tenths off the record on their way to gold, achieving the catch on the Spanish pairing of Venge and Llaurado. It was another Australian pairing of Bryce Lindores and Steven George who took the bronze.
Results - Final
Gold
1 MODRA Kieran, LAWRENCE Tyson B/VI AUS 4:18.166 (WR)
2 VENGE Christian, LLAURADO David B/VI ESP +1Lap
Bronze
1 LINDORES Bryce, GEORGE Steven B/VI AUS 4:26.626
2 CHALIFOUR Daniel B/VI CAN 4:28.171
Results - Qualifying (Top 4 through to finals)
1 MODRA Kieran, LAWRENCE Tyson B/VI AUS 4:18.961 (WR)
2 VENGE Christian, LLAURADO David B/VI ESP 4:25.335
3 CHALIFOUR Daniel, CLOUTIER Alexandre B/VI CAN 4:25.544
4 LINDORES Bryce, GEORGE Steven B/VI AUS 4:27.578
5 COWIE Brian, SMIBERT Devon B/VI CAN 4:29.195
6 KILPATRICK Gavin, THOMSON Michael B/VI RSA 4:32.191
7 JANOVJAK Vladislav, MITOSINKA Robert B/VI SVK 4:32.236
8 GONZALEZ Francisco, SUAREZ Juan Francisco B/VI ESP 4:38.548
9 STELLEMAN Alfred, TETTELAAR Jaco B/VI NED 4:40.432
10 COTE Stephane, BOILY Pierre-Olivier B/VI CAN 4:41.677
Men's 1km Time Trial Finals (LC3/4)
Simon Richardson Takes First GB Gold and New World Record
First GB Gold of the games for Simon Richardson who takes top honours in the LC3/4 event beating his nearest rival by nearly three seconds. The event also saw the LC4 world record fall to Australia's Greg Ball. The 41 year old from Portcawl was 14th rider to go, when he posted the fastest time of the competition and had to wait for the remaining six riders to complete their runs. His world record time however, was unassailable. Speaking to the BBC, Simon was remarkably candid: "I'm totally shocked, this is a completely unexpected gold medal. This race was really a warm up for the 3km, so I went into it thinking 'Whatever we get'."
Above: Simon giving it everything on his way to Kilo gold ((Photo credit: Julien Behal/PA Wire)
I caught up with Simon on the phone after the event and he said: "I felt totally relaxed in the leadup to the event hardly any pressure. I treated it just like a normal race. Knew I could hit 1:16 but was really surprised when I hit 1:14.9"
Results (All times with percentage factor)
1 RICHARDSON Simon LC3 GBR 1:14.936 (WR)
2 FUJITA Masaki LC3 JPN 1:17.314
3 BALL Greg LC4 AUS 1:17.681 (WR)
4 VIGANO Paolo LC4 ITA 1:17.696
5 GRAF Tobias LC3 GER 1:18.515
6 ZHANG Lu LC3 CHN 1:18.603
7 TEUBER Michael LC4 GER 1:18.941
8 THIRIONET Laurent LC3 FRA 1:20.561
9 MILTON Michael LC3 AUS 1:21.578
10 GARCIA Antonio LC3 ESP 1:21.954
Women's 1km Time Trial (B/VI)
McGlynn and Hunter take Gold and New World Record
Gold and a new world record for the GB pairing of Aileen McGlynn and Ellen Hunter, who recorded a storming 1:09.066, ahead of Australia's Felicity Johnson and Katie Parker. The GB pairing knocked over a second off their previous world record set in Manchester back in 2006.
Above: Ellen Hunter (left) and Aileen McGlynn celebrate their outstanding performance in the Women's Kilo ((Photo credit: Julien Behal/PA Wire)
Speaking to Ellen just after the event, she said that her and Aileen had a long wait while the other competitors put in their rides, but just tried to concentrate on their warm-up session on the rollers. Hard to do when they saw the Australians take the world record. But the track was fast, the atmosphere was great and new equipment and the support of her parents who flew in from Mallorca really paid off.
Aileen was equally pleased with a performance that saw everything go to plan. She felt good ahead of the competition and knew that the track was running fast. When they recorded a personal best for their opening lap they knew they were about to do something special.
Results
1 McGLYNN Aileen, HUNTER Ellen B/VI GBR 1:09.066 (WR)
2 JOHNSON Felicity, PARKER Katie B/VI AUS 1:10.465
3 HOU Lindy, GALLAGHER Toireasa B/VI AUS 1:12.463
4 WHITSELL Karissa, WOODRING Mackenzie B/VI USA 1:12.787
5 PARSONS Jayne, FARRELL Annaliisa B/VI NZL 1:14.048
6 OUELLET Genevieve, HUPIN Mathilde B/VI CAN 1:15.639
7 WALSH Catherine Mary, HICKEY Joanna B/VI IRL 1:16.208
8 LOPEZ Ana, GIRONA Marina B/VI ESP 1:19.712