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Wednesday, August 25, 2004
Australian cyclists win pursuit gold
(AAP Photo) - The Australian pursuit team in the gold medal race at the Athens Olympic velodrome. (Mon 23 Aug, 04:39 PM)
Australia won its first men's Olympic team pursuit title in 20 years this morning to take its medals haul from track cycling at the Athens Games to four from four days of competition.
The world champions, who had destroyed their own world record in Sunday's qualifiers, were comfortable winners in the final against Britain, who were seeking their first gold in the event since the London Games of 1908.
The win by Graeme Brown, Brett Lancaster, Brad McGee and Luke Roberts gave McGee a gold to add to the silver he took in the individual pursuit on Saturday and his three bronzes from the Sydney and Atlanta Games.
And it saw Australia record its most successful Olympic track cycling performance ever.
"I've got a big swathe of these things now and hopefully there's still more to come," McGee said, taking off his medal as he spoke to reporters and hanging it around the neck of his three-year-old daughter, who had green and yellow Aussie kangaroos stencilled on her arms.
"I'm not that old yet," the 28-year-old said.
Meanwhile Brown said he hoped the win would help draw a line under the Mark French drug scandal.
Brown and Lancaster were both named by French as having injected substances in his room at the Australian Institute of Sport in Adelaide, but were later cleared of any wrongdoing.
"You know we've been in the press for months now, and now we're in the press for a good thing, so hopefully it's a complete reverse," Brown said.
"For me it was a petty little issue, which was stupid and shouldn't have blown out to such a big proportion."
Spain came from behind to beat defending champions Germany in the race for bronze, claiming only the fourth Olympic track cycling medal of their history.
That gave Sergi Escobar his second medal of the Games following his third place in the individual pursuit.
Medal tally
Australia's win was its first in this event since the Los Angeles Games of 1984 and only its second ever.
(AFP Photo) - Australia's pursuit team machine powers on to gold (Mon 23 Aug, 05:39 PM)
It takes Australia's medal tally from cycling at these Games to five - three golds and two silvers - including a gold in the women's road race on the opening weekend.
The Australians will almost certainly add to their treasure chest in Tuesday's individual sprint finals.
Ryan Bayley and Anna Meares reached the last four comfortably on Monday and Meares in particular looks a good bet to add to her 500 metre time trial gold.
Britain's defeat means their long search for a gold medal in the men's team pursuit goes on.
Since that initial victory 96 years ago, they have taken two silvers and no fewer than nine bronzes in this event but have never topped the podium.
"I've got mixed feelings," rider Steve Cummings said. "Disappointment but also a bit of joy. It's just a shame we couldn't finish the job off.
"Everyone's given 110 per cent but we've been beaten by the best team in the world again."
Nevertheless, Britain's silver was their 38th medal in the 108-year history of Olympic track cycling, taking them above Italy on 37 into second place in the overall standings.
France have the biggest haul with 56.
Reuters
AG: Here another flashnews of our cycling team, sorry im late.
# ANTENNA SHARON | 5:58:00 pm |
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