Tokyo Olympians grab titles on opening day of track national championships
Road & Track
Two national titles in two sports over three days proved an impressive performance for Tokyo Olympian Rebecca Petch.
The 23-year-old from Te Awamutu bagged her third elite BMX National Championship in a row at Hamilton on Sunday and yesterday won the 500m time trial on the opening day of Cycling New Zealand’s Track National Championships in Cambridge.
Petch was one of the highlights where fellow Olympians Nick Kergozou and Bryony Botha scored impressive wins, and Waikato Bay of Plenty’s Kiaan Watts, making a rare return from road racing, claimed the elite scratch race.
More than 200 riders are contesting the five-day competition comprising para-cyclists and able-bodied riders from under-15 grade to elite at the Grassroots Trust Velodrome.
Petch, who has dabbled in track cycling with her mainstay of BMX since Tokyo, clocked a championship record of 34.201s for the 500m time trial, which was just 0.2s outside the national open mark.
“I wasn’t expecting to get a national title on the track today but it’s pretty cool,” said Petch. “I am starting to get more used to the track bike and slowly starting to be more natural but there’s still a lot of improvement to come.”
Proven performer Botha marked her time in the women’s 10km scratch race, until a group of four broke clear including with fellow Olympian Holly Edmondston, exciting young prospect Ella Wyllie and outstanding Masters rider, Penny Pawson. Botha’s power enabled her to push clear, holding off Edmondston to claim the honours.
Fellow Olympian Nick Kergozou, better known as Kilo Kergy, claimed his fourth national 1000m time trial title, clocking 1:00.296, which bettered his own championship record, comfortably clear of George Jackson (Wellington) and Daniel Bridgwater (Waikato BOP).
“It is nice to go under the minute and given the training camp over the last few days and the experiment running a bigger gear, it was respectable. It’s my fourth title and I think that is about the same number that Eddie Dawkins won – that’s not bad company,” said Kergozou.
Waikato Bay of Plenty’s Kiaan Watts, who has forged a solid reputation on the road in recent times, made a welcome return to the track to claim the men’s 15km scratch race.
Watts and former rower Bridgwater made their move with 18 laps to go, and gradually edged their way clear of the field, to all-but lap the chasers as Watts held off his powerful ally to take the honours.
In age group racing, Meghan Baker (Canterbury), the top qualifier, won the Under-17 2000m individual pursuit final over Caitlin Kelly (Southland) in 2:29.860; while Southland’s Magnus Jamieson won gold in the under-17 boys pursuit final over Auckland’s Nate Boness.
The under-17 Elimination women’s final went to Caoilinn Gray over fellow Waikato BOP rider Millie Wright, while Jamieson claim the double with win in the men from Wolf Pene (Canterbury).
In the under-15 grade, Shaylah Sayers (Canterbury) and Carter Paine (Waikato BOP) won the respective Elimination races, with Sayers backing up to win the 500m time trial in 39.269s, while David Kwon (Auckland) won the boys’ 500m time trial in 36.841s.
Outstanding Canterbury prospect Amelia Sykes (Canterbury) won the under-19 500m time trial in 35.840 from rival Seana Gray (Waikato BOP), while the under-19 men’s honours over 1000m went to Waikato BOP’s Kyle Aitken edged Auckland’s Luke Blackwood and Jonathan Fish (Mid South Canterbury), with 0.2s separating the trio.
The second day includes sprints and scratch racing for under-15 and under-17 riders; sprints and pursuits for para-cyclists and elites.
The championships, which are live streamed on Sky Sport Next, finish on Saturday.
Details and results: tracknationals.nz