More World Champs success for Junior Kiwis

Aug 19th, 11. Sophie Williamson led the Kiwis' medal charge at the UCI Junior World Track Championships in Moscow today.

Alexandra's Williamson added a third bronze medal to New Zealand's tally with a great ride in the 20km Points race where she picked up points in five of the ten sprints.

Italy's Maria Giulia Confalonieri proved the class of the race, eventually lapping the field to claim the victory with the New Zealand rider positioning herself cleverly to ensure she picked up points on a regular basis.

Williamson returns to the track tomorrow to compete in the omnium.

Sprint success

Auckland sprinter Stephanie McKenzie relished the purpose-built sprinter's track to move into tomorrow's sprint semifinals as one of the riders to beat.

She was the fastest qualifier in the individual sprint with her time of 11.104sec. Fellow Auckland teammate Paige Patterson qualified in 12th place of 27 starters with 11.627s. 

Patterson, who won a bronze medal with McKenzie in the team sprint yesterday, was eliminated by an American in the following two rider sprint off.

McKenzie had a first round bye before eliminating her opponent in the "round of eight" before disposing of  an Italian rider in two straight rides in the quarterfinal. She moves into tomorrow's semifinals along with two powerful Russians, Tamara Balabolina and Anastasiya Voynove and Great Britain's Victoria Williamson.

Earlier, Christchurch rider Alex Frame finished 11th from 34 starters in the 1000m time trial in 1:05.560 won by Australia's Jason Gardiner in 1:03.872.

4th in Women's Team Pursuit

The women's team pursuit were edged out of a medal in their bronze ride against Italy. The Kiwi combination of Cassie Cameron (Wanganui), Georgia Williams (Auckland), Georgina Wilson (Auckland) qualified 3rd fastest in 3:34.037, fractionally ahead of the Italians despite a sluggish opening kilometre of 1:14.393.

The New Zealand trio lifted their game in the bronze medal ride but could not match the Italians who found another gear to edge out the Kiwis by half a second in 3:31.54.

Meanwhile, Australia showed their class to beat the home Russian team in the final with a superb 3:27.654.

Omnium

Waimate's Dylan Kennett had his medal hopes dented when he was squeezed out early in a roughly-run elimination race to bring the opening day of the omnium to a conclusion.

Kennett had won the Flying Lap, recording 10.776s over the final 200m on the massive 333m Moscow Velodrome. He finished 8th in the points race on nine points to be in 2nd place overall going into the elimination race.

It proved a crash fest after some aggressive riding, with Kennett squeezed by two riders to be eliminated early and significantly dent his strong medal chances. He returns to complete the omnium competition with the individual pursuit, scratch race and time trial tomorrow.

Results, Day 2

Women 20km points race

Maria Giulia Confalonieri (ITA) 43 points, 1; Ingrid Drexel (MEX) 23 points, 2; Sophie Williamson (NZL) 15 points, 3.

Men 1000m time trial

Jaron Gardiner (AUS) 1:03:872, 1; Ben Edelin (FRA) 1:04:374, 2; Matt Baranoski (USA) 1:04:660, 3. Also: Alex Frame (NZL), 1:05.560, 11.

Women Sprint, qualifying

• Stephanie McKenzie (NZL) 11.627, 1; Paige Patterson (NZL) 11.627, 12.
• First round: Patterson lost to Jennifer Valente (USA) two straight.
• Quarterfinal: McKenzie bt Stella Tomassini (ITA) 2-0.

Women's 3000m team pursuit

• Gold medal ride: Australia 3:27:654 bt Russia 3:29:032.
• Bronze medal ride: Italy 3:31:547 bt New Zealand (Cassie Cameron, Georgia Williams, Georgina Wilson) 3:32:122.
• Qualifying: Russia 3:30.635, 1; Australia 3:30.948, 2; New Zealand 3:34.037, 3; Italy 3:34.380.

Men Omnium

Flying Lap: Dylan Kennett (NZL) 10.776, 1; Pascal Ackerman (GER) 10.834, 2; Hongki Kim (KOZR) 10.968, 3.
Points: Roman Ivlev (RUS) 1, Caleb Ewan (AUA) 2. Kennett 8.