CYCLING – TRACK: For the second straight day, Australia has come heartbreakingly close to grabbing it’s first cycling medal of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, again being pipped at the post in the team sprint final.

Four-time Olympian Anna Meares and debutant Stephanie Morton opened their Rio campaigns with a fourth place in the team sprint, equaling the result of the men’s team from the opening night of competition.

“I would be lying if I didn’t say I wasn’t bitterly disappointed,” said Meares, who claimed bronze with Kaarle McCulloch at the 2012 London Games. “It’s heartbreaking to finish that close to an Olympic medal but at the same time I am really proud of the performances that Steph and I put forward.”

Meares and Morton posted the fourth fastest time of 32.881 in the afternoon qualifying, setting up a first round clash with fifth-fastest Netherlands.

The Aussie duo found two-tenths of a second to better their qualifying time (32.636) on their way to winning the first round.  And with the third fastest time of the four first round heats, launched themselves into the bronze medal final against defending Olympic champions Germany represented by Kristina Vogel and Miriam Welte.

In the final, Meares bolted from the gate to give Australia a one-tenth advantage over Welte after the first lap.

However, the three-time world and reigning Olympic champion Vogel powered home to edge the Aussies in the dying metres by just two-hundredths of a second.

China – who set a new world record in round one – edged Russia for gold.

“We knew coming into today that the Chinese and the Russians were going to be in a league of their own and has it has been all season we were really tussling it out with Germany for that third and fourth position,” said Meares.

“We were very close at the at the lap mark, slightly up and like I said to Steph if we get her going she has one of the biggest diesel engines in the field she just keeps going. You could see that this was a really tough competition.

“This is what it takes at an Olympic Games, you have to turn around and pull it out in the next round and the next round and that next round was for bronze and unfortunately we just missed it.”

Morton was pleased with her efforts on her Olympic debut.

“It’s tough but we pulled tenths from the qualifying round to the second round and followed that into the finals,” said Morton, a 2012 Paralympic gold medallist as a Tandem Pilot.

"We couldn’t have done much more. We left it all out on the track. It’s agonising to come so close but to get three really quality rounds I’m really happy and I know Anna is to.”

“We don’t usually race three rounds in the team sprint, it’s the first time I have done it, so I’m really happy with my rides. I felt strong going into all three and I left it all on the track.”

Meares and Morton will be back on the track on Saturday in the women’s keirin finals.

“We come back tomorrow prepared for the next race,” said Meares. “The keirin is a rough and tumble event and both Steph and I have really good chances in it but as you’ve seen tonight from the performances of the Chinese, Russians and a few of the individual riders it’s going to be a very, very hot field.”

After launching to fourth on day one in the team sprint, Matthew Glaetzer and Patrick Constable were back in action on day two of competition as the men’s sprint competition got underway.

Glaetzer (9.704) rocketed around the Rio Olympic Velodrome with the third fastest qualifying time behind defending Olympic champion Jason Kenny (GBR) who set a new Olympic record (9.551).

In the 1/16 finals, Glaetzer overcame Colombian Puerta Zapata in the front straight to move through to Saturday’s quarter finals.

Rising star Constable, the second youngest rider in the field, clocked the seventeenth fastest time (10.010). In the 1/16 finals, second fastest qualifier Callum Skinner (9.703) edged him to the repechage round, however Constable took the win in the three-man sprint to move through to quarter-finals.

The men’s sprint continues with the quater-finals and semifinals on Friday, with the finals on Saturday. 

Amy McCann
olympics.com.au