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Last Updated: 2 Apr 2018 - 8:45:17 PM |
NEW NATIONAL RECORD TOPS IRISH SHOWING ON DAY ONE IN BEIJING
By Shane Stokes
8 Dec 2007,
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David O’Loughlin reaped the benefits of some hard work when he shattered the Irish record for the individual pursuit in Beijing today. Riding the second round of the 2007/2008 track World Cup in the Olympic stadium, the Mayo rider covered the 4000m distance in 4 minutes 25.31 secs. This was over 4.5 seconds quicker than the 4 minutes 29.909 mark he set in Newport on September 29th 2006, and was good enough for seventh overall out of the 30 riders in the competition.
World and Olympic champion Bradley Wiggins topped the qualification list with a time of 4 minutes 22.69 seconds and took gold later in the day, recording 4 minutes 25.316 to go 0.531 seconds faster than Volodymyr Dyudya (Ukraine) in a close-run final.
Alexander Serov (Russia) took bronze in a time of 4 minutes 26.240, just 0.109 faster than Taylor Phinney. The American is the son of former top US riders David Phinney and Connie Carpenter.
O’Loughlin has made strong progress since the world track championships in Palma last March. He was 17th there, completing the distance in 4 minutes 30.595 seconds, and can thus be very satisfied with his showing today. He’ll hope to keep improving in advance of the final two rounds of the World Cup in Los Angeles [18-20 January] and Ballerup [15-17 February], plus the track world championships in Manchester in March. Olympic qualification will be secured by a high final placing in the world rankings.
O’Loughlin detailed the qualification mechanism in an interview with Irishcycling.com in early November. “For the individual pursuit, it is the top five in the world rankings plus the World Cup winner plus the world champion,” he stated. “So that'll probably bring it back to the top seven in the world rankings, plus eight of the fastest team pursuit squad. There will only be 15 or 16 guys in the final…it is quite a tough criteria.
“Last year I was ranked seventh or eighth [he was sixth in the pursuit in the World Cup standings and eighth in the world rankings after the World Championships], so if I can improve on that slightly I should be all right.”
He and Morgan Fox were also in action in the points race today. Fox finished ninth in the second heat while O’Loughlin was 14th in heat three. Neither qualified for the final, which was won by world champion Juan Llaneras (Spain) ahead of former champ and FBD Insurance Rás winner Chris Newton (Great Britain). Australian Cameron Meyer was third.
Tomorrow sees a number of events taking place. Of those, the team pursuit will include the Irish quartet of Paul Healion, Martyn Irvine, Dermot Nally and O’Loughlin. Brian Kenneally and Fox will go in the second of two heats in the scratch race and aim for a place in the final.
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Track World Cup 07/08 Round 2, Beijing, China (December 7-9):
Individual pursuit:
Qualifying:
1, Bradley Wiggins (T-Mobile) 4 mins 22.69 seconds
2, Volodymyr Dyudya (Ukraine) 4 mins 22.99 secs
3, Alexander Serov (Russia) 4 mins 23.345 secs
4, Taylor Phinney (USA) 4 mins 24.364 secs
5, Marc Ryan (New Zealand) 4 mins 24.444 secs
6, Jenning Huizenga (Netherlands) 4 mins 24.684 secs
7, David O’Loughlin (Ireland) 4 mins 25.31 secs
Final:
For gold:
Bradley Wiggins (T-Mobile) 4 mins 25.316 seconds
beat Volodymyr Dyudya (Ukraine) 4 mins 25.847 secs
For bronze:
Alexander Serov (Russia) 4 mins 26.240 secs
beat Taylor Phinney (USA) 4 mins 26.349 secs
Men's Points Race:
Qualifying:
Heat 1:
1, Iljo Keisse (Bel) 12 pts
2, Greg Henderson (NZl) 10
3, Makoto Iljima (Jpn) 9
Heat 2:
1, Ben Swift (GBr) 10 pts
2, Peter Schep (Ned) 9
3, Michael Morkov (Den) 8
Irish:
9, Morgan Fox (Pezula) 3
Heat 3:
1, Cameron Meyer (Aus) 32 pts
2, Vasili Kiryenka (Blr) 27
3, Mehdi Sorabi (Iri) 26
14, David O’Loughlin (Ireland) 1
Final:
1, Juan Llaneras (Spa) 60 pts
2, Chris Newton (GBr) 54
3, Cameron Meyer (Aus) 53
4, Mikhail Ignatiev (Rus) 49
5, Iljo Keisse (Bel) 47
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