David Brenchley
The Great Britain pursuit team produced a stunning performance to smash the world record on their way to winning gold but it was a different story for Victoria Pendleton who lost in the keirin to Simona Krupeckaite (Lithuania).
The pursuit was never in doubt for Team GB, who contained two riders that had already stood on the top of the podium this weekend, and they powered to a time of 3:21.875.
Lizzie Armitstead and Wendy Houvenaghel had won a gold medal each yesterday and, combined with Joanna Rowsell, overwhelmed their opponents Germany and did what their male counterparts narrowly missed out on earlier in the day.
The Brits were rightly proud of their performance and Rowsell commented: “We were really keen to break the record today because we knew we had it in us but it is about getting the right conditions on the day.
“Having another team on the track helps also because it helps to drag you around, we could see them with about three laps to go so that helped,” added the 20 year old.
The performance left everyone wondering just how fast the trio can go and Armitstead said: “I reckon we can get 3:12.000 in 2012, I think that is attainable.
“We have all had our own individual goals up until now, now we have more of a cohesive focus and it can only get better from here.”
Australia’s trio of Tess Downing, Belinda Goss and Josephine Tomic claimed bronze and, after the race, Goss said: “That was a great start but, looking at the Brit’s time, we have certainly got a bit more work to do.
“We now have to go back and look at what we can improve to get to that extra seven seconds,” she added.
Krupeckaite led the keirin home after Australian Anna Meares had led for the majority of the race. The Brits were slightly disappointing, Pendleton struggled and finished well down the pecking order and Jessica Varnish was disqualified from her qualifying heat.
Shuang Guo of China, the reigning world keirin champion finished in the silver medal position and Meares grabbed bronze.
Krupeckaite said: “I am very happy, it was a very hard race because all of the strong girls in the world are here. I did a big job and I was proud of myself.”
Meares, too, was pleased with her ride and picked up a bronze to add to the two gold medals she won yesterday. She explained: “That was a really tough final because it was fast from a long way out.”
“I tried a couple of new things and really wanted to go out and be pro-active, which I did. [Being at the front] is just different to what I would normally do and I think the key is to try different things until something works for you,” Meares, who won gold in the time trial and team sprint yesterday, added.
