Australian national track championship gallery

Sydney's Kaarle McCulloch set a 500m time trial Championship record and personal best time to win her fourth gold medal of the week. The 22 year old posted a time of 34.208 seconds to clip three tenths of a second off the previous mark of 34.5423sec set by Anna Meares at the Championships in 2007. The time also shaved three hundredths of a second of McCulloch's personal best. 

McCulloch also leaves Adelaide with the sprint, keirin and team sprint titles.  "Considering I trained yesterday as well I've had seven days straight on the track and my legs were a little tired this morning so to come out and do a personal best and a Championship record is very satisfying," said McCulloch who returned last week from Beijing where she competed in the final round of the World Cup series. 

In the men's kilometre time trial Victorian Joel Leonard was the only rider to crack 1min03sec posting a time of 1min02.900sec to win the gold medal.   "I was looking to do a good time somewhere in the 1.02's and I did a high 1.02 but it got me a gold medal," said Leonard who won the same event in 2008.

The omnium competition, in which riders must contest five events for the medal, delivered some exciting action in the final day of competition.  First year senior rider, Michael Hepburn, upstaged local hero Jack Bobridge to win the men's omnium by a one point margin.

In the women's omnium riders contested five events (500m time trial, flying 200m time trial, 5km scratch race, 2km pursuit and 10km points race) and it was Sydney's Ashlee Ankudinoff who ended the marathon effort with the lowest cumulative points total of 11 to defeat reigning World Champion Josephine Tomic from West Australia who amassed 14 points. 

Maddison Hammond earned the title Champion of Champions which is awarded to the rider who amasses the most points in individual events during the week. Hammond's three individual gold medals (sprint, keirin and kiometre time trial) along with his silver medal in the omnium gave him the crown plus the teenager was a member of the U19 team sprint gold medal team for Victoria.

Scott Sunderland snatched the gold medal in the men's keirin with a flying attack a lap from home at the Australian Track Championships at Adelaide's Super-Drome.  Sunderland caught his rivals napping and, using his kilometre time trial strength, held them off for a comfortable win.

"I'm very happy with that," said Sunderland. "When I saw Nibbo (Jason Niblett) coming around I jumped onto his wheel and then a lap and half from home I thought 'I'd better go now. I put my head down and came around him leading into the bell and the rest is history," said Sunderland who avoided some jostling amongst the others in the field.

Tasmania's Belinda Goss rode the perfect final sprint to claim the gold medal in the women's 10km scratch race. 

"I'm really stoked to win the double and my first scratch race win at senior level," said Goss.

14 months ago teenager Scott Law was lying on the road with a shattered knee after being knocked off his bike by a car but today he was on top of the world as he capped off a long and painful recovery with a gold medal in the men's 15km scratch race at the Australian Track Championships at Adelaide's Super-Drome.

"I was on a training ride and a car pulled out in front of me and I shattered my right patella (kneecap) in about five places and it's been a long journey back with a lot of rehab and a lot of hard training but it's definitely well worth it," said Law. "This day is incredible."

Law rode the race to suit his strengths letting the likes of Beijing Olympian, Jack Bobridge, junior World Champion, Luke Durbridge and Commonwealth Games points race champion, Sean Finning, make the pace with numerous attacks and counter attacks in a fast paced and hard fought battle.

Law says there was never a doubt in his mind that he would get back on his bike.

"The day after the accident I wanted to get riding again because I just have so much passion for the sport and I just want to succeed as much as I possibly can and do as well as I can and progress higher and higher and higher to the top level."

The SA team of Jack Bobridge, Rohan Dennis, Dale Parker and James Glasspool posted a blistering Australian Championship record time of 4min00.417sec to defeat defending champions and former record holders Cameron and Travis Meyer, Luke Durbridge and Michael Freiberg of Western Australia.

Article ... Unusual team pursuit tactics pay off

New South Wales’ Kaarle McCulloch claimed her second Australian sprint crown with a convincing win over team mate Cassandra Kell in straight heats. McCulloch, who also claimed the title in 2008, overpowered Kell in the first heat with a powerful burst on the back straight, whilst in the second, she caught Kell napping at the bell lap to claim the win and the title by the length of the straight.

"I really wanted this one tonight. It is a pity that Anna (Meares) and Emily (Rosemond) aren't here as it would have been nice to win it with them here, but nonetheless I am Australian Champion, so I am really stoked,” said McCulloch, who won the team sprint gold medal earlier in the Championships.

In the M19 sprint, Victoria’s Maddison Hammond successfully defended his 2009 title, defeating top seed South Australia's Matthew Glaetzer in two straight heats. New South Wales’ Jamie Green defeated West Australia’s Luke Zaccaria for bronze.

West Australian Holly Williams claimed the gold medal in the U19 women's sprint. After setting a Championship record of 11.782sec in yesterday’s flying 200m qualifying, Williams, 18, breezed through the remaining rounds and easily accounted for Victoria’s Adele Sylvester in straight heats.

“Breaking the Australian Championship record was just a great confidence boost and I am really stoked as a lot of hard work has gone into this and I am happy that it paid off at the end of the day,” said Williams.

Gold, Holly Williams. Silver, Adele Sylvester. Bronze, Cassandra Flugge.

The final event of the evening was the U19 10km men's scratch race which was won by Tasmanian Luke Ockerby ahead of Jackson Law (NSW) and Mitchell Benson (WA).

"I am really happy with my form at the moment and winning this race," said Ockerby. "I was just hoping the pace was going to stay up and I moved up the front with four to go and then I lead out and held on."

Canberra's Daniel Ellis won his first senior individual Australian Championship claiming the gold medal in the men's sprint. "It feels great, to come out here with the training our whole group has had, to come out with the win, it is a perfect lead up to the World Championships in March," said Ellis who claimed silver in the team sprint and bronze in the keirin at the recent Beijing round of the World Cup Series.

Ellis posted the fastest qualifying time yesterday of 10.266sec and cruised through the rounds to a gold medal showdown with Perth's Scott Sunderland. The pair are usually on the same team in Team Jayco colours in the team sprint but in tonight's final it was all business.  "It hurt, it hurt a lot, but being up against Scotty, one of my team mates, we know how to ride each other, so it made it a little bit easier," explained Ellis. 

"First individual gold medal at an Australian Championships, it is a great feeling, to come out with the green and gold jersey, it is excellent," said Ellis.  Ellis powered around Sunderland in the first of their best of three heats to clear away for a win but in the second heat the pair played cat and mouse in the final lap until Ellis jumped with 200m to go. Sunderland challenged but it was Ellis who crossed first to clinch the gold medal.

A consistent performance by Tasmania's Amy Cure saw her collect her second gold medal of the Championships as she rode to victory in the Under 19 womens points race.  Cure, who claimed gold in the 2km individual pursuit last night, collected points in all eight sprints, taking a maximum five points three times, to finish on 24 points.

"I just wanted to try and get points in each sprint as I knew the West Australian girls had a strong team and I had to keep an eye on them," said seventeen year old Amy Cure . "Once I was out in front early in the race, I was just trying to keep calm and keep up in the sprints."

Tasmanian Belinda Goss added to an impressive collection of wins when she collected her fourth straight points race gold medal at the Australian Track Cycling Championships at Adelaide's Super-Drome.

"I am so excited, I was sick last week, so I was a little bit nervous coming in not knowing how I was going to pull up, but I couldn't be happier," said a glowing Goss. "Womens track cycling in Australia has certainly stepped up and the standard we have here is world class, so to win here tonight, I am really happy."

In her return to the track, 2004 Australian points race Champion and now established road professional Alexis Rhodes (SA) launched three attacks during the race in a bid to gain points but was unable to hold off her rivals who kept her to 11 points and a fourth place finish.

Jack Bobridge after his impressive ride in the final.  In the heats he rode the 2nd fastest IP in history - 4min14.427sec, knocking six tenths off the time set by Welsh cyclist Gerraint Thomas at the Manchester round of the World Cup in October last year.  The time is also faster than the Olympic record set by Britain's reigning Olympic Champion Bradley Wiggins in Beijing. (Article...)

In the women's 3km pursuit Sarah Kent (WA) collected her first senior individual Australian title with her victory over fastest qualifier Ashlee Ankudinoff (NSW).  Gold medal time was 3min36.981sec with Ankudinoff crossing the line in 3min38.033sec.  The bronze medal was won by Josephine Tomic (WA).

"I'm very happy, I guess last year I was pretty close, so to finally do it after six years coming, I couldn't be happier," said Kent. "This title it is at the top, as there has been such good competition, and I knocked four seconds off my personal best. I just wanted to go under 3.40, so to do a 36 in the final, I couldn't have asked for anything else."

In the qualifying round of the men's sprint Canberra's Daniel Ellis (pictured) was the fastest over 200m with his time of 10.266sec.

Victorian Jason Niblett was second fastest in 10.351sec and WA's Scott Sunderland third fastest in 10.373sec. All three cruised through the first round to go through to tonight's quarter finals.

Sydney's Kaarle McCulloch, who last year teamed with Queensland's Anna Meares to win the team sprint World Championship, lined up with junior team mate Madison Law to win the Australian Open title (U19 and elite combined).  The pair clocked 35.675sec in the final to defeat South Australia's elite pairing off Stephanie Morton and Annette Edmondson (36.066sec). The bronze medal went to West Australian duo Melissa Hoskins and U19 rider Holly Williams.

The final came down to the wire with Amy Cure's time of 2mins23.661seconds just 14 thousandths of a second faster than reigning U19 World Champion West Australia's Michaela Anderson who crossed the line in 2min25.675seconds. Isabella King (WA) won the bronze medal final.

Women's U19 individual pursuit podium. Gold Amy Cure, Silver Michaela Anderson, Bronze Isabella King.