Cyc: Mactier sets up gold medal clash with Ulmer

AAP General News (Australia)
08-22-2004
Cyc: Mactier sets up gold medal clash with Ulmer

By Paul Mulvey

ATHENS, Aug 21 AAP - Katie Mactier and Sarah Ulmer traded world record blows tonight
to set up a trans Tasman gold medal race in the women's 3000m individual pursuit tomorrow.

In her first ride of the Games, Mactier broke Ulmer's three month old world record
by 0.659 of a second when the Australian rode 3 minutes 29.945 seconds in the qualifying
round to become the first woman to break the 3:30 barrier.

No-one will take that milestone away from her, but the New Zealander immediately snatched
back her record when she clocked a stunning 3:26.400 in the next race.

The pair then won their heats later tonight, with Ulmer qualifying fastest for tomorrow's
final with a time of 3:27.444.

Australia's Kate Bates will race Dutch great and defending champion Leontien Zijlaard-van
Moorsel for the bronze.

Mactier will be aiming to go one better than teammate Brad McGee who took the silver
after being soundly beaten by Britain's Bradley Wiggins in the men's 4000m individual
pursuit final tonight.

McGee came to Athens after a back injury forced him out of last month's Tour de France
and has had daily treatment for the last six weeks.

He was slow out of the gate tonight and was a second down after 500m.

He quickly clawed to inside 0.4 of a second but Wiggins, the 2003 world champion, picked
up the pace at the halfway mark and pulled away from the Australian in every lap to win
by over four seconds in a time of 4:16.304.

"I'm happy, who couldn't be happy with a silver medal at the Olympics," McGee said.

"But if I really look at it, I'm not in my best ever form and I'm racing a guy in the
form of his life.

"I just didn't have the legs to match the will."

The men's team sprinters finished agonisingly outside a medal, losing the bronze medal
race against France by 0.045 of a second, despite Ryan Bayley's second lap of 12.792 which
was believed to be the fastest ever flying 250m lap.

Germany won the gold with Japan taking the silver.

Sean Eadie, who was controversially chosen ahead of Ben Kersten for the team sprint
first wheel failed to break 18 seconds from the standing start in any of the three races
and was the weak link as Bayley and Kelly had to make up ground each time.

Although no records of second flying laps are kept, Bayley's time still shows he is
in great shape for tomorrow's sprint rounds and the keirin on Wednesday.

AAP pmu/mo

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