The Irish National team cyclists shone at the Australian Track National Championships, clinching six medals from March 1st to 5th. Building on their sucess at the Adelaide Track Nations Cup, the team undertook a rigorous training camp in Brisbane to fine-tune their skills for the upcoming Tissot UCI Track Nations Cup in Hong Kong from March 15th to 17th.
The Hong Kong leg of the Track Nations Cup holds significant importance for Ireland as they aim for Olympic qualification.
At the Australian National Championships, Irish riders showcased their prowess in a series of women’s endurance events, including a standout performance in the women’s team pursuit.
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All roads lead to Hong Kong as Ireland continue their bid for Olympic qualification in the Women's Team Pursuit, read the full story now!
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— Cycling Ireland (@CyclingIreland) March 6, 2024
Lara Gillespie emerged as a star of the weekend, securing gold in the Scratch and Elimination races, along with a bronze in the Points race. Kelly Murphy also won gold in the Individual Pursuit and Mia Griffin claimed silver in the same event, while Alice Sharpe and Erin Creighton earned fifth and eighth place finishes, respectively.
In the Womenβs Team Pursuit, Gillespie, Griffin, Sharpe, and Murphy delivered a commendable performance, clinching gold with a time of 4:17.670, falling just short of their national record set a year ago by less than a second.
Ireland is set to commence their journey at the Hong Kong Track Nations Cup on Friday, 15 March.
Results
Scratch Race
Gold – Lara Gillespie
5th – Erin Creighton
Individual Pursuit
Gold – Kelly Murphy
Silver – Mia Griffin
5th – Alice Sharpe
8th – Erin Creighton
Women’s Team Pursuit
Gold – Lara Gillespie, Mia Griffin, Alice Sharpe, Kelly Murphy
Points Race
Bronze – Lara Gillespie
5th – Mia Griffin
8th – Erin Creighton
Elimination Race
Gold – Lara Gillespie
6th – Erin Creighton