World Track Cycling: Aussie sprinter Matthew Glaetzer finishes runner up to Britain’s Jason Kenny
AUSSIE track sprinter Matthew Glaetzer has announced himself as a genuine gold medal contender for Rio despite falling agonisingly short of world title glory.
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AUSSIE track sprinter Matthew Glaetzer has announced himself as a genuine gold medal contender for Rio despite falling agonisingly short of the world title in London.
The Adelaide 23-year-old pushed reigning Olympic champion Jason Kenny to three heats of their final in the individual sprint but the British star - who is four years older - held his nerve and won his third world championship gold medal.
It was close to the most complete performance of Glaetzer’s burgeoning career after he qualified fastest in 9.766 seconds and then disposed of some of the biggest names in the sport.
He beat Dutchman Theo Bos (five-time world champion) in the first round, Frenchman Gregory Bauge (nine-time world champion) in the second, Russian Denis Dmitriev (three-time European champion) in the semi-final and then took the first of three races against Kenny only to be overhauled.
Glaetzer went early in the final two races but Kenny - spurred on by a vocal home crowd - had the goods in the home straight.
It sets the scene for what promises to be an epic contest at the Rio Olympics in August after Kenny repeated the result from the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games.
Glaetzer was crowned team sprint world champion in 2012 but is still chasing his first individual world title. He won the keirin at the Glasgow Games and has dominated the Australian sprinting landscape for the past three years.
Meanwhile, Australia still has two chances to claim the women’s sprint title, but unfortunately for the nation only one can progress with Anna Meares and Stephanie Morton to meet in their semi-final.
Morton proved she was among the fastest in the world with the top qualifying time but was set for a stern test against Meares - who she knocked out of the same event in Glasgow two years ago.
Australia also medalled in the men’s omnium with Glenn O’Shea producing a huge performance in the points race - the final leg of the event - to claim bronze behind Colombian winner Fernando Gaviria, while British superstar Mark Cavendish finished sixth.
It was the fourth omnium medal O’Shea has won in the past five years and put him squarely in the frame to ride the event in Rio in August.
In the women’s omnium, reigning champion Annette Edmondson showed she was on track to defend her title by taking the lead after two events.
Originally published as World Track Cycling: Aussie sprinter Matthew Glaetzer finishes runner up to Britain’s Jason Kenny
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