Hoffman claims kilo gold and Games record
Roger Vaughan |
Gun sprinter Leigh Hoffman has made history, becoming the first Australian cyclist to win four medals at a Commonwealth Games.
He scorched to his third gold on Sunday night (AEST) with a Games record in the 1km time trial on the last day of Glasgow competition.
That followed his gold medals in the team sprint and sprint, plus a silver in the keirin.
Later on day four of track cycling at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, Georgia Baker will aim to become the first Australian cyclist to win six Games golds when she rides in the elimination race.
“It sucks I didn’t win gold in the keirin, but that’s keirin racing,” Hoffman said.
“To pick up another three gold, I cannot complain.”
Hoffman reflected the brutality of the “kilo”, after looking like he might vomit on the medal podium.
“I was just in survival mode. I’m cooked, absolutely cooked,” he said an hour after the race.
“I was just aiming to do a quick 500 and then hopefully that sets me up for the rest of the race, and it did. But those last two laps were so brutal.
“You don’t feel human. My legs are still burning … 58 seconds of pure pain.
“I’m proud I didn’t spew.”
The kilo was controversially taken out of the Olympic program after 2004 and this was Hoffman’s first ride in the event for six years.
He would love it to be back at the Olympics but for the time being he will not ride at the world championships, given there is also a qualifying ride on the same day.
Teammate Tayte Ryan won bronze behind English rider Joseph Truman on the last day of the Games.
The second-last rider to start, Hoffman had the best splits throughout and clocked 58.530 seconds. Compatriot Matt Glaetzer had set the old mark of 59.340 at the 2018 Gold Coast Games.
Truman, the last rider, never looked like threatening Hoffman and posted 59.525 for silver.
Ryan, the fourth-last starter, was the first to go sub-one minute and ended up securing bronze with 59.684.
Hoffman said after his emphatic sprint win on day three that he was looking forward to racing former teammate Matt Richardson, who sensationally defected to Great Britain days after the Paris Olympics.
Richardson, the heir apparent to Dutch great Harrie Lavreysen, was supposed to be one of the biggest stories of the Games when he went up against Hoffman in the sprint.
But he pulled out from racing for England last week because of a nasty crash, with a rival taking him out during the Japan keirin series.
Also on day four of cycling, Alessia McCaig and Kristina Clonan progressed through the opening round of the women’s keirin, while teammate Liliya Tatarinoff reached the second round through the repechage.
Apart from Baker’s bid for more history, Australia will also feature prominently in the men’s 40km points race.
AAP