South Africa’s master track cyclists have returned home from a successful trip to Manchester and a haul of 8 medals from four cyclists at the 2012 UCI Track Cycling Masters World Championships that finished in Great Britain on Sunday, 14 October 2012.
South Africa finished in a credible seventh place overall out of the 26 nations that competed, which made up more than 400 athletes who took part in the 18th running of the event.
Elisa Gianchino celebrated the South African team’s second gold medal during the Women’s 35-44 Points race, dominating the challenging event on Day 7. The race started well for Australian contender Cheryl Hulskamp, winning the first sprint, which turned up the pace from the bunch.
With the riders in the hurt box, it was Great Britain’s Siobhan Mullan who opened her points’ account, beating Hulskamp at the next sprint. But it was South Africa’s Gianchino who caught everyone off guard when she attacked, raking in the points with only Australia’s Rebecca Wheadon able to reel her in.
Gianchino and Wheadon worked together and lapped the field, moving up the points’ table ahead of Mullan. It was Gianchino who displayed dominance as she remained in control of the race, claiming her first gold medal of the championship event and the second gold medal for the team.
Gianchino’s teammates who also scored medals were Annerine Wenhold, who claimed gold in the women’s 35-39 Individual Sprint as well as silver in the 500m time trial. Wendell Bole won his silver medal in the Men’s 60-64 Points race and Morne van Greuning was the fourth competitor to bring a medal home with his bronze from the men’s 35-39 individual sprint.
Gianchino’s bronze medals were earned in the 500m TT and individual sprint events as well as a bronze scored in the Team Sprint in which she partnered with Wenhold.
National records that were established but still need to be ratified are for Wendell Bole and Elisa Gianchino’s Individual Pursuit (Men 60-64 and Women 35-39); Michael Bevan, Peter Wheeler and Brent Berriman who made up the Men Masters Team Pursuit, and Annerine Wenhold and Elisa Gianchino in the Women Masters Team Sprint.
