Australia’s men lose Commonwealth cycling pursuit to England but women triumph

Australia’s squad pursuiters person had mixed fortunes connected time 1 of the Commonwealth Games way cycling.

The men suffered a astonishment nonaccomplishment successful their Ashes last arsenic England gained immoderate revenge for the Paris Olympics, wherever Australia bushed Great Britain for the golden medal.

Australia during the men's 4000 pursuit. Photograph: Dean Lewins/EPA

The Australian women successfully defended their Games title, overhauling New Zealand and breaking their ain Commonwealth Games record.

After qualifying fastest, Olympic champions Oliver Bleddyn and Conor Leahy partnered with Blake Agnoletto and James Moriarty for the final.

England pulled distant precocious and won successful 3 minutes 47.092 seconds, breaking the Games record, and Australia clocked 3:48.223.

Sophie Edwards came retired of the pursuit quartet who besides qualified fastest and three-time Games golden medallist Georgia Baker took her place.

Felicity Wilson-Haffenden, Claudia Marcks and Alyssa Polites joined Baker successful comfortably beating New Zealand for the golden medal.

Australia rode 4:10.658 and New Zealand clocked 4:12.775.

“Bloody awesome – I couldn’t inquire for overmuch more. We came successful present wanting to triumph gold, but it’s easier said than done,” said women’s manager Ash Ankudinoff, a erstwhile squad pursuit satellite champion.

“We made up a bully program and the girls executed it to an implicit ‘T’.

“It’s an breathtaking bunch. I ne'er cracked an Olympic medal, but we person a bully bunch.

“It’s conscionable a measurement successful the close absorption - look retired LA and we’re excited for the adjacent 2 years.”

Ankudinoff lauded Wilson-Haffenden, a erstwhile inferior clip proceedings satellite champion connected the road, a monolithic motor for the Australian team.

“She’s an unthinkable plus to the team. I retrieve going to the inferior worlds with her arsenic a coach,” Ankudinoff said.

“To ticker her turn into an unthinkable motorcycle rider, I’m excited for what she tin do, not lone successful 2 years but possibly towards Brisbane.”

Kane Perris and his aviator Luke Zaccaria won bronze successful the men’s tandem B 1km clip trial, portion Scotland delighted the assemblage by winning the archetypal golden of the way programme successful the lawsuit up of Wales.

Australia started the way cycling good earlier connected Thursday, putting themselves successful golden medal contention crossed six of the 7 day-one events.

They qualified fastest successful the men’s squad sprint and the 2 squad pursuits, portion Tara Neyland besides posted the quickest clip successful the C4-C5 3000m idiosyncratic pursuit connected the mode to winning gold.

Australia posted the fourth-fastest clip successful women’s squad sprint qualifying and volition contention for bronze.

Para-sport seasoned Jess Gallagher, with Jacqueline Mengler-Mohr piloting, took metallic down New Zealand successful the women’s tandem B sprint.