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Wednesday, August 25, 2004
BAYLEY WINS GOLD
Assalamualaikum Wbh,
Just to share what a craze here since last night. Everybody was talk about it. Ramai jugak yang berjaga malam tadi to watch this moment (including me, maybe). Congrats to our team, Aussie just make it great.
Bayley rides ahead of Dutchman Theo Bos during the sprint final.
Photo: AFP
Western Australian Ryan Bayley became Australia's fourth cycling gold medallist in Athens when he stormed back against the Netherland's young gun Theo Bos to reign supreme in what has quickly become the hottest new rivalry in sprint cycling.
It was the second cycling medal of the evening, added to the bronze medal which 500m time trial champion Anna Meares had earned in the women's sprint earlier.
In the first heat, Bayley covered Bos's line and then bolted as the bell sounded for the final lap, but Bos pipped him on the line by less than half a wheel. The second time around, a similar scene played out but Bayley hit the finish line literally flying as he popped his now trademark wheelie when he lunged desperately to overtake Bos and force a decider.
But in the all-important third match, it was the 22-year-old Bayley who conquered as he scorched the velodrome to burn past Bos up the finishing straight.
Bos, 21, had attempted to psych out Bayley on the start line during the final, staring intently at him before delivering a sharp grin just before the whistle was blown for the pair to move off in each heat.
The pair had a controversial clash at the world championships in May when Bos disposed of Bayley on the way to the title.
Bayley became the first Western Australian to win an individual Olympic gold medal since swimmer Lynette McClements won the 100m butterfly at the 1968 Mexico Games. His family could not afford to make the trek to Athens to be with him for the competition, but Bayley knew his almost-blind father Wayne, mother Lola and sister Kristine were watching him on television in their Perth home.
Bayley had powered into the final with a forceful display against French great Laurent Gane, a seven-time world champion, overpowering him in two straight heats. His second dash produced a phenomenal burst of speed as he closed down a 10 metre gap to zip past Gane. Germany's Rene Wolff beat Gane for the bronze.
Meares, attempting to win her second gold medal of the Games in the women's sprint, was bustled out of contention in the semi-finals by seasoned Canadian sprinter Lori-Ann Muenzer.
The Queenslander took care of business in the first heat, but the 38-year-old Muenzer grabbed too great a lead to overcome in the second match, and proved too strong for Meares to get past in the third.
Muenzer went on to win the gold medal - Canada's first-ever cycling gold medal - from Russian Tamilla Abassova. For the bronze medal, Meares was challenged by Russian nemesis Svetlana Grankovskaya in what was a repeat of the showdown for the world championship earlier this year, when Grankovskaya had the better of the 20-year-old Australian.
Meares comfortably took the first heat after much weaving for position. In the second, Meares charged around the Russian with just over a lap remaining, then gave her a little flick in the last corner to unbalance Grankovskaya and secure the medal.
In the men's point race, run over 40 kilometres (160 laps), young Russian Mikhail Ignatyev earned his first Olympic gold medal with a bold ride, taking four laps - with a 20 point bonus for each lap - and finishing with 93 points. Spanish triple world champion Joan Llaneras claimed silver (three laps and 82 points) while German Guido Fulst added a bronze medal (three laps and 79 points) to his team pursuit golds from Sydney and Barcelona.
Australian Mark Renshaw, who had hoped to ride the madison as well but has missed out with the places going to gold medallist Graeme Brown and road cyclist Stuart O'Grady, was the first across the finish line but finished sixth overall (two laps and 60 points).
AG: Malaysian, Josiah Ng try to make his debut in Men Keirin First Round today at Olympic Veledrome. All the best mate!
# ANTENNA SHARON | 6:02:00 pm |
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