September 19/98 11:39 am - Commonwealth Games

Posted by Editor on 09/19/98
 

Commonwealth Games
(courtesy Steve Lund)

Saturday night the KL Velodrome was the site of Tanya Dubnicoff repeating as the Commonwealth‚s fastest woman on a bike. Tanya outsprinted arch rival (and close friend) Michelle Ferris of Australia in two straight sprints to win her second Commonwealth Gold medal. 

The most impressive of the two sprints was the second, where Tanya led out the sprint from about 200m. Into the final banking Ferris moved up to come around Tanya, Tanya matched her acceleration on Ferris's first and second attempt to come around. Exiting the final corner with 60m to go, Ferris once again tried to come around Tanya, but she soon gave up as Tanya bettered her acceleration for the third time and cruised across the line for the win.

In the Bronze medal match up Lori-Ann Muenzer also defeated her Australian opponent two straight to win the Bronze. Lori-Ann had to come from behind in the first sprint, winning by a tire width. In the second sprint Lori-Ann led out, keeping the Aussie high through the last banking to easily hold her off till the finish.

Cycling events will wrap up tonight with the Men's and Women's Points Races and the finals in the Team Pursuit. Canada win field two strong teams, Brian Walton, Paul Henderson and Doug Baron in the Men's race, with Andrea Hannos, Lyne Bessette and Annie Gariepy contesting the Women's race.

In other Games news, Australia‚s World Champ pursuiter Lucy Tyler-Sharman was kicked out of the Commonwealth Games by the Australian Cycling Team for alleging that her bike was sabotaged in the semi finals of the Women's Pursuit. Tyler-Sharman pulled both feet from her pedals at the start, and never regained her composure in losing the race. She immediately shouted profanities at Team officials and accused the Aussie head mechanic of failing to check her bike.  She reportedly got into a punching match later that evening with the Austrailan Team Manager and was send home, with her licence suspended the next morning.

Note: Doug Baron finished 10th overall in the men‚s Match Sprint.