Oceania Cycling Championships Day 3 Wrap

Junior world championship medallist Stephanie McKenzie grabbed a gold medal on the penultimate night of finals at the Oceania Cycling Championships in Adelaide last night.

McKenzie took it to the heart of the Australian cycling strength - their much vaunted sprint programme - to win the Under-19 sprint final in impressive fashion.

The Auckland sprinter was the top qualifier and was unbeaten throughout the competition culminating in the victory in the gold medal ride against Australia's Adele Sylvester in two straight rides.

Counties Manukau's Paige Patterson, who is in her first year as a junior, impressed in grabbing the bronze medal in her first major international competition.

Commonwealth Games medallist Simon van Velthooven (Palmerston North) was edged out of gold in an exciting final for the kerin medals by Jason Niblett. The Australian, who has been competing with Van Velthooven in the high profile keirin league in Japan this year, came from behind to catch the
kiwi on the line, winning by 3cm.

Earlier Southland's Sequoia Cooper showed real determination to finish fourth in the women's points race after recovering from a crash and puncture in the 20km event.

The championships conclude tonight with the team competitions with the New Zealanders looking to establish a solid combination ahead of the upcoming UCI World Cup in Melbourne.

Results:

Men:
Keirin qualifying (top two to semifinals: heat 1: Matthew Glaetzer (AUS) 1,
Jonathan Bathe (AUS) 2. Also Sam Webster (NZL) 4. Heat 2: Jason Niblett
(AUS) 1, Simon Van Velthooven (NZL) 2. Heat 3: Eddie Dawkins (NZL) 1, Alex
bird (AUS) 2. Repechage (3 to semis), heat 1: Michell Bullen (AUS) 1, Nathan
Seddon (NZL) 2, James Glasspool (AUS) 3. Heat 2: Webster 1, Andrew Taylor
(AUS) 2, Alex Trumble (AUS) 3. Round 2, heat 1: Van Velthooven 1, Glasspool
2, Bullen 3. Heat 2: Niblett 1, Taylor 2, Bird 3. Final: Niblett 1, Van
Velthooven 2, Bullen 3. 7th-12th: Glaetzer 7, Webster 8, Bathe 9.
Under 19, Omnium: Round 1 250 flying lap: Rick Sanders (AUS) 13.819, 1;
Dylan Kennett (NZL) 13.937, 2; Caleb Ewan (AUS) 14.019, 3. Round 2, Points
race 15km: Alex Edmondson (AUS) 32 points, 1; Philip Mundy (AUS) 22, 2;
Tirian McManus (AUS) 20, 3. Also: Kennett 5, 8.

Women:
Points race, 20km: Megan Dunn (AUS) 26 points, 1; Sarah Kent (AUS) 17,
Melissa Hoskins (AUS) 10. Also: Sequoia Cooper (NZL) 4.
Under-19 sprint qualification: Stephanie McKenzie (NZL) 11.867, 1; Adele
Sylvester (AUS) 12.091, 2; Paige Paterson (NZL) 12.256, 3. Quarterfinals:
McKenzie bt Emily Butcher (AUS) 2-0, Sylvester (AUS) bt Taylah Jennings
(AUS) 2-0, Paterson bt Rikki Belder (AUS) 2-0, Imogen Jelbert (AUS) bt
Madison Law (AUS) 2-0. Semifinals: Mckenzie bt Jelbert 2-0, Sylvester bt
Paterson 2-0. Final: Mckenzie bt Sylvester 2-0. Bronze: Paterson bt Jelbart
2-0.

Full results www.bikenz.org.nz