Amy Cure’s rolled gold double in Commonweath Games cycling
UPDATED: Tasmania’s Amy Cure has won her second gold medal in the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, with her family cheering her on to victory.
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UPDATED: Tasmania’s Amy Cure has won Australia’s ninth track cycling Commonwealth gold, the Penguin girl prevailing in a perfectly executed 10km scratch race.
Cure benefited from teammates Ashlee Ankudinoff and Annette Edmondson in the final few laps, edging ahead of Scottish pair Katie Archibald and Neah Evans on the final lap.
It is Cure’s second gold, following her opening night team pursuit title on Thursday.
The win also means Tasmania has exceeded its record gold medal haul at a Commonwealth Games.
It added to swimmer Ariarne Titmus’ gold in the 4x200-metre relay and Jake Birtwhistle’s in the triathlon mixed team relay, taking Tasmania’s gold medal haul to four.
A spokesman for the Tasmanian Institute of Sport said the state had never previously won more than three gold medals at a Commonwealth Games.
Birtwhistle and Titmus have also won silver medals in individual events on the Gold Coast while bowler Rebecca Van Asch is guaranteed at least a silver in the women’s fours.
Amy Cure is now a multiple junior world champion, multiple senior world champion and multiple Commonwealth champion.
She said she was delighted to bounce back from what she described as a disappointing seventh place in the previous night’s points race.
“The girls really backed me up out there, they gave me the perfect ride and I was just so happy I could bring it home,” said Cure, whose previous Commonwealth Games in Glasgow yielded silver and bronze medals.
“I can’t thank the girls enough. We went in there with a plan and executed it perfectly so it’s great to come home with a win and be able to do it in front of a home crowd.
In a post-race interview with host broadcaster Channel Seven, Cure was asked how she felt having her father Graeme in the Anna Meares Velodrome working as a race official.
“He tries to do his job and not be too distracted but I think he couldn’t help himself but come up on the track and give me a hug and it’s great to have him here,” she said.
“I’m not used to walking up to the line and seeing my dad there but it’s great to have him here and all my family support.”
She also reflected on her cycling battles with sister Sarah who was also among the Cure clan cheering her on.
“She was a really good rider. When it came down to a bunch sprint she used to always beat me and I was the more endurance rider so it’s great to have her and the rest of the family here supporting me.”
Earlier in the day, Rebecca Van Asch helped the Australian women’s four team reach Monday’s final with a thrilling sudden death semi-final defeat of Canada.
Ariarne Titmus cruised to victory in her 800m heat to safely qualify for Monday night’s final.
And on the opening day of the athletics program at Carrara Stadium, King Islander Stewart McSweyn finished fifth in the 5000m and Hobart’s Huw Peacock came 11th in the hammer.
In addition to Titmus and Van Asch, weightlifter Kaity Fassina and T38 sprinter Sam Walker, both of Hobart, also face finals on Monday.
Fassina competes in the 90-kilogram event at Carrara Sports Centre at 2pm, just over five hours before Walker takes on the T38 100m next door at the Carrara Stadium.
MORE: THE 15 TASMANIANS AT THE GAMES
MONDAY’S SCHEDULE FOR THE TASMANIANS:
12.15pm: Bowls women’s four final (Van Asch, Broadbeach Bowls Club)
2pm: Women’s 90kg weightlifting (Fassina, Carrara Sports Centre)
7.10pm: T38 100m men’s final (Walker, Carrara Stadium)
7.43pm: Swimming 800m freestyle final (Titmus, Gold Coast Aquatic Centre)
9pm: Basketball, Australia v Nigeria (Goulding, Walker, Cairns Convention Centre)
with AAP
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