Nat Bromhead
It’s the Olympic highlight for most cycling fanatics, a Team Pursuit indoor velodrome final. And particularly when Australia is involved.
Think back to the 1994 LA Games where Michael Grenda, Kevin Nichols, Mike Turtur and Dean Woods won Gold – Australia’s first in Olympic cycling since 1956.
Then, 20 years later, at Athens in 2004 when Brad McGee, Brett Lancaster, Graeme Brown and Luke Roberts won Gold for Australia.
And now, 20 years after that, big Sam Welsford, Kelland O’Brien, Oliver Bleddyn and Conor Leahy have not only won gold but helped catapult Australia into a solid third on the medal table.
“I think a lot of people kind of underestimated what we can do,” newly crowned gold medallist Sam Welsford said after the thrilling final against Great Britain. “We used that to our advantage here and we kind of kept it under the radar.”
World Record In Heats
After setting a new World Record in the heats on Tuesday, track veteran Welsford said the team had a lot of confidence going into the final.
“You know, I think when we saw 40 up on the board yesterday I think we were all a bit surprised, but then we backed ourselves in and we knew that we could actually do that.”
St Kilda Cycling Club members are particularly thrilled with club member Kelland O’Brien racing his second Olympics and being key to the outcome of the gold medal race.
Kell showed his exceptional track riding skills and consistent power as he helped the team clinch its emphatic victory. Kell won a bronze medal in the same event at the Tokyo Games.
“That was a nerve-wracking ride for all of us, with Great Britain leading for the first few laps before the Aussies started to peg them back. Cool heads and experience prevailed,” said Tom Reynolds, President of St Kilda Cycling Club.
“Kell is one of the young legends at St Kilda, and we are proud to see him succeed again on the international stage and have redemption for Tokyo.
“Winning a gold medal has been one of Kell’s dreams since he started his cycling career, and his success on the track and on the road inspires all of us. His gold medal is the highlight of an incredibly busy year for Kell. He’s raced in more than a dozen international stage and one-day races this year, with more to come.
“Kell exemplifies the ethos of our club. He’s dedicated and focused, yet humble and approachable. And his cycling career is still building.”
Kell, 26, is likely to race in one of his signature track events, the Madison, on Saturday. He has won the national Madison championship on four occasions.
