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Aucklander Ethan Mitchell claimed the gold medal after riding 17.610 in the final. - Source: Photosport
A golden age of New Zealand sprint cycling had another chapter added at the Cycling Southland velodrome yesterday as the buildup to the London Olympics continued in earnest.
The standing 250m sprint allowed the speed demons of the BikeNZ programme to light the afterburners in sizzling conditions in Invercargill on the final night of the national elite championships and they took the opportunity with gloved hands.
The men's event saw the national record previously held by Southland's Matt Archibald get beaten four times with Aucklander Ethan Mitchell eventually claiming the gold medal after riding 17.610 in the final, with Archibald taking silver and his Southland team-mate Eddie Dawkins bronze.
It was Mitchell's first individual national record and a result he was particularly proud of.
The tight-knit nature of the men's sprint programme was paying dividends, he said.
"We are all training together six days a week, pushing ourselves and pushing each other which ultimately leads to faster times.
"Everyone is taking a step up this year and in Olympic year that's a real positive for us."
Mitchell said the culture in the men's team made going to training more than just a means to an end.
"Not only are we team-mates but we are the best of mates as well. With that comes a positive attitude towards training every day.
"We wake up and look forward to going to training and shouting at each other and really pushing each other."
Archibald, just four years into his cycling career after switching from rowing, also rode his way to silver in the men's keirin last night to put additional pressure on the national selectors.
The powerfully-built Archibald has been the fifth rider in a squad where four riders could be competing for three places at the Olympics but that must be starting to change.
"I'm just really trying to improve every year and hopefully one day I'll be able to get one of those starting spots. It's all about putting pressure on," Archibald said.
"I'm just trying to better my own times. I'm coming to the end of my fourth season and I'm getting to the stage where personal best for me is a medal so I'm pretty stoked with that."
Archibald had hoped to put himself in contention for the Commonwealth Games in two years' time but he knows he could be force his way into the team for the London Olympics if he continues his rapid progression.
"Now I'm within reach of the Olympics that's my primary focus for the next six months."
While the women's sprint programme is dominated by Invercargill air traffic controller Natasha Hansen, who won the keirin last night to claim her fourth title of this year's nationals, it was her New Zealand team sprint team-mate Katie Schofield who grabbed some of the spotlight yesterday.
The Otago rider beat Hansen's national record in the 250m time trial to go with a personal best of 1sec in the 500m time trial earlier in the championships.
Pressure for her place in the New Zealand sprint team from the likes of Steph McKenzie had spurred Schofield on.
"Steph's there right behind me and she can bring the form on in competitions, she's very good at that," Schofield said.
"Things are going very well and we are on target to achieve our goal of qualifying for London. Every time I get on the track I knock off a bit more time which is really exciting."
Schofield's personal best for the one lap matched Hansen's personal best over the second half of her win in the 500m time trial, a good sign as they try to get to London.
To do that they must force their way into the world's top 10 teams.
With a New Zealand record of 34.401 between them for the team sprint, they would need to crack the 34sec barrier to ensure a trip to London, Schofield said.
The championships finished with a great ride by under-19 riders Dylan Kennett and Hayden McCormick who took a lap on a field full of senior riders to take out the men's madison.
The New Zealand team to contest the next round of the World Cup in London, which doubles as the test event for the Olympics, will be named this morning.
Results:
Women 250m Standing Lap, qualifying: Katie Schofield (Otago) 19.594 (NZ record), 1; Natasha Hansen (Southland) 20.218, 2; Steph McKenzie (Southland), 20.384, 3; Vanessa Quin (Auckland) 21.353, 4.
Final: Schofield 19.754, 1; Hansen 20.073, 2; McKenzie 20.392, 3.
Men 250m Standing Lap, qualifying: Ethan Mitchell (Auckland), 17.645, 1; Matt Archibald (Southland), 17.928, 2; Eddie Dawkins (Southland), 18.095, 3; Sam Webster (Auckland), 18.345, 4.
Final: Mitchell 17.610 (NZ record), 1; Archibald 18.008, 2; Dawkins 17.982, 3.
Women 3000m Team Pursuit, qualifying: Southland (Sequoia Cooper, Kylie Young, Sarah Tomlinson) 3.39.067, 1; Auckland (Ashleigh James, Alexandra Neems, Georgia Williams) 3.41.245, 2.
Final: Southland 3.34.834, 1; Auckland 3.35.994, 2.
Men 4000m Team Pursuit, qualifying: Waikato Bay of Plenty (Sam Bewley, Scott Creighton, Peter Latham, Hayden McCormick) 4.15.185, 1; Canterbury (Will Bowman, Tayla Harrison, Dylan Kennett, Hamish Schreurs) 4.22.061, 2; Southland (Pieter Bulling, Regan Sheath, Hamish Tomlinson, Brad Tuhi), 4.22.728, 3; Composite (Denay Cottam, Lee Evans, Matiu Kaihau, Josh Haggerty), 4.23.551, 4.
Final: Waikato Bay of Plenty 1; Canterbury 2, (caught); Composit, 3.55.569, 3.
Women keirin, Heat 1: Hansen 1; Elizabeth Steel, (Canterbury) 2; Henrietta Mitchell (Auckland) 3.
Heat 2: Hannah Latta (Otago) 1; Quin 2; McKenzie 3.
Final: Hansen 1; Steel 2; Mitchell 3.
Men Keirin: Heat 1: Dawkins 1; Archibald 2; Willie Trew (Southland) 3.
Heat 2: Simon van Velthooven (Feilding) 1; Webster 2; Regan Sheath (Southland) 3.
Final: Van Velthooven 1; Dawkins 2; Archibald 3.
Men 15km Scratch: Aaron Gate (Auckland, 17.25.529, 1; Patrick Jones (Otago) 2; Alex Frame (Canterbury) 3.
Women 10km Scratch: Joanne Kiesanowski (Canterbury) 12.44.446, 1; Kat Jones (Otago) 2; Gemma Dudley (West Coast North Island, 3.
Men's Madison, 40: Dylan Kennett and Hayden McCormick, 1 lap, 22pts, 1; Jason Allen and Tom Scully 27 pts, 2; Aaron and Myron Simpson 21 pts, 3.
