Three more world records established on the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome.
Day four of para-cycling track competition at the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships saw three more world records fall on the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome.
One of those records went to Australia’s Amanda Reid, who set a new mark of 38.162 in qualifying for the Women C2 500m time trial. Come the evening’s final, gold seemed a formality as, last off, she needed a time of 42.317 or under to beat Zhenling Song of China. The Paralympic gold medallist and former elite swimmer and snowboarder dug deep to win in 38.378. Germany’s Maike Hausberger won bronze.
Another of the day’s world records went to China’s Wangwei Qian, the fastest in the Women’s C1 200m time trial – the second event of the omnium - with a new world mark of 13.367.
However, the Chinese athlete had to bow down to the superiority of Great Britain’s Frances Brown in the final of the C1 individual pursuit. Brown – a former para-climbing World Champion and triathlete - treated the British home crowd to a world record of their own. In beating Qian to gold, she lowered her world record by 1.4 seconds to 4:10.941. The gold added to Brown’s silver in the Women C1 500m time trial on Friday.
“I came here with no expectations as this is my first effort on the track and I was so nervous coming into it,” the 38-year-old said after the race. “I’m so happy.”
In the bronze final, China’s Jiafan Yang held off Great Britain’s Katie Toft.
Great Britain on a roll
Brown’s performance was part of another fantastic day for Great Britain in the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome.
In the Women B Sprint Sophie Unwin and Jenny Holl won their third gold medal of the UCI World Championships, beating Australia’s Jessica Gallagher and Caitlin Ward, despite losing the first of three confrontations. After taking the advantage in the second race, the British sealed victory in the decider, with an average of over 60km/hr.
Meanwhile, after qualifying fastest for the evening’s Women C4 500m time trial final, Kadeena Cox crushed the opposition in the final with a time of 35.961 at an average speed of over 50km/hr from a standing start, over two seconds ahead of Canada’s Kate O’Brien. Australia’s Erin Normoyle took bronze.
Another British gold went to Archie Atkinson, just 19 years old, in the Men C4 scratch race, beating an even younger (18) rider, Kiwi Benjamin Westenberg, into second. Ireland’s Ronan Grimes put in a tremendous final couple laps to win bronze. Atkinson dedicated his win to 17-year-old American cyclist Magnus White who was killed in an accident near his home in Colorado just days before the UCI Cycling World Championships.
One of the most eagerly awaited events of the day’s para-cycling track programme finally saw Great Britain’s Fin Graham get revenge over his nemesis at these UCI Worlds, Jaco van Gass. His countryman had twice denied him gold, in the Men C3 1km time trial and Men C3 scratch race. But Graham looked impeccable from the start of the individual pursuit. By the halfway mark, he was over two seconds ahead. And Graham just kept extending his lead for a comprehensive victory by over five seconds.
In the bronze match-up, New Zealand’s Devon Briggs reeled in Netherlands’ Matthijs Drenth for a great comeback.
Results and live timing on the UCI website.
Brief explanation of para-cycling sport classes for the track
C – Cycle: conventional bike with adaptations if necessary
B – Tandem: for blind or visually impaired athlete with sighted pilot
Group C (1-5) is divided into different sport classes, with the lower the number indicating greater impairment.