Victoria Pendleton has won sprint gold at the track cycling world championships in Melbourne, despite crashing to the boards in one of her semi-final races.
The Brit, who was vying to win back the sprint world title from Australian Anna Meares, picked herself up off the boards to beat Meares after they came into contact in the first of the three semi-final heats.
She then went on to beat Lithuania’s Simona Krupeckaite in the final after she was relegated following the second race due to straying outside her racing line. Pendleton had already won the first race meaning the victory was announced whilst she stood expecting to race one final time.
“It’s been an emotional rollercoaster,” Pendleton told BBC Sport.
“That’s not necessarily the way I’d like to win, in an ideal scenario, with relegations and stuff. It always feels a bit weird and not very true to the sport, but those are the rules.
“I’m delighted with the result. I didn’t think it was going to happen coming into today. It’s great to end on a high.”
Talking about her earlier crash, which left her with friction burns along her right side and wholes in her suit, she said;
“It’s not too bad. I lost my balance, went too far in one direction and lost my traction,” she said.
“My dad always said you don’t do track cycling unless you’re prepared to crash. I slid quite nicely, which sounds random, and I felt fine. I could tell it was just surface wounds.”
The battle between Pendleton and Meares will be one of the most hotly anticipated races of the London Olympics. Meares told BBC Sport: “I’m getting sick of meeting Vicky in the semi-final, it’s making it really hard. For her to pick herself up after that heavy fall and come back as hard as she did is a mark of the woman and the great champion that she is.”
It was a very positive end to the event for Pendleton after disappointment on Wednesday as her and team sprint partner Jess Varnish missed out on the medals.
“I was disappointed with the team sprint,” said Pendleton.
“It left me flat, I must admit. Picking myself up for this was quite hard. I thought this was going to be a stepping-stone and I hoped I might do a better performance than I did at the London World Cup.
“I feel I did that and I’m more than pleased.”
Louise Hudson, Sportsister
The Women’s Sports Magazine
