Olympic cycling: Andrews claims short-lived Olympic record

11:52 pm on 6 August 2021

New Zealand keirin silver medallist Ellesse Andrews has survived a repechage in the women's track cycling sprint to advance to the last 12.

New Zealand's Ellesse Andrews (L) and Australia's Kaarle Mcculloch compete in a heat of the women's track cycling sprint 1/32 finals during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Izu Velodrome in Izu, Japan, on August 6, 2021. (Photo by Greg Baker / AFP)

Photo: AFP

Andrews beat China's Shanju Bao in the repechage - the Chinese rider won a team sprint gold medallist earlier this week.

The Kiwi will be back on the track tomorrow night, where she'll take on Canadian Kelsey Mitchell.

Andrews had set an Olympic record of 10.563 seconds in qualifying, which was then bettered by 10 others, including

France's Mathilde Gros, Canada's Lauriane Genest and the world record holder Mitchell.

Andrews went on to beat Kaarle McCulloch in the next round, pulling clear of the Australian and qualifying for the second round where she was narrowly edged by Ukrainian Olena Starikova.

That meant she had to win her repechage to have any chance of making the medal races.

Last night Andrews claimed silver in the keirin event for New Zealand.

The 21-year-old Christchurch rider became the first New Zealand woman to win an Olympic track cycling medal since Sarah Ulmer won gold in the individual pursuit at the 2004 Athens Games.

Meanwhile, the Kiwi riders Rushlee Buchanan and Jessie Hodges did not feature in the hunt for the medals in the madison.

They finished tied for Germany in 11th place, with a score of -40 points.

The race was dominated by the Team GB riders, Laura Kenny and Katie Archibald, who won the gold medal in convincing fashion.

Denmark was second and the Russia Olympic Committee took the bronze.

- RNZ / BBC

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